Parliamentary proceedings disrupted after Rahul Gandhi cites unpublished ex-Army chief’s book; House adjourned
PTC Web Desk: The Lok Sabha witnessed intense disruptions on Monday during the ongoing Budget Session after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s speech triggered sharp objections from Treasury bench members, leading to a prolonged standoff and eventual adjournment of the House.
The uproar began when Rahul Gandhi, while speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, referred to excerpts from an unpublished book authored by former Army Chief General Manoj Naravane. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interrupted Rahul Gandhi, questioning the authenticity of the reference and asserting that the book had not been published.
Rajnath Singh told the House that quoting from an unpublished work was not permissible and urged the Leader of Opposition to clarify the status of the book. Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the objection, stating that unpublished books, newspaper reports or unauthenticated sources cannot be cited during parliamentary proceedings.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla upheld the objections raised by the ministers, citing parliamentary rules and long-standing conventions. He clarified that even published books unrelated to House proceedings cannot be quoted on the floor of the House.
Rahul Gandhi, however, defended his remarks, claiming that excerpts from the book were published by The Caravan magazine and were “100 per cent genuine.” He further stated that Rajnath Singh’s name was mentioned in the excerpts. Congress MPs, including KC Venugopal, pressed the Speaker to allow Rahul Gandhi to continue, arguing that the government could respond later.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reiterated that parliamentary norms strictly prohibit quoting from books, especially unpublished material. Despite repeated appeals from the Opposition, the Speaker maintained his stance.
Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav intervened in support of the Opposition, stating that matters concerning China are highly sensitive and should be discussed without unnecessary interruptions.
As tempers flared, both sides raised slogans, plunging the House into disorder. After nearly 45 minutes of chaos, the Lok Sabha was adjourned until 3 pm.
Following the adjournment, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held discussions with Speaker Om Birla to review the situation.
- With inputs from agencies
