NEW DELHI: In a rare sight, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen raising slogans as the Karnataka political crisis echoed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Rahul joined his party members shouting slogans implying that democracy was being murdered in reference to the developments in Karnataka.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the Karnataka issue in the House, accusing the BJP of poaching party lawmakers in the state.
He was disallowed by Speaker Om Birla saying the matter was discussed in the House on Monday and Deputy Leader of the Lok Sabha Rajnath Singh had responded to the charges.
“It is your duty to save democracy,” a Congress member said.
Chowdhury then scribbled a few slogans on a piece of paper and gave it to his fellow party MPs sitting behind him.The Congress members raised slogans like “down with dictatorship” and “stop the politics of poaching” and Rahul also joined them. Some members entered the Well while sloganeering.
When the Speaker warned them against bringing posters, one of them said, “This is our right.” Birla retorted, “No it is not your right. The country is watching you. This is your House. Don’t make it the house of a civic body.”
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice after the Congress raised the Karnataka issue in the House. Congress MP B K Hariprasad had given notice for suspension of the listed business to discuss the situation in the state, which was rejected by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu.
This led to protests by the Congress MPs who came into the well. As commotion continued, the House was adjourned initially for an hour and then for the day.
No action on Prachi
Three notices of breach of privilege were given against Sadhvi Prachi for allegedly stating there were one or two terrorists in Parliament. But the RS privileges committee said pursuing the issue would serve no useful purpose.