NEW DELHI: The clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Tawang sector rocked Parliament on Tuesday with Opposition parties staging a walkout after the government refused a discussion on the issue after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the House on the matter.
The Opposition walked out of the Lok Sabha after Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded a discussion after Singh’s statement at 12 pm. A number of parties including the Congress, the AAP, RJD, and TMC, among others, also gave adjournment notices to discuss the border situation.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed noisy scenes after deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh denied permission for discussion, citing precedents that query on sensitive issues cannot be permitted. Subsequently, Congress-led the Opposition to stage a walkout. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said it was meaningless to sit inside the House if they are not given clarifications.
The issue took a political turn outside Parliament as leaders from both the government and the Opposition trading charges at each other. Training his guns at the Centre, Kharge said it was not transparent on the Chinese escalation. “We were told by the Leader of the House and Deputy Rajya Sabha Chairman that we would be given a chance for clarification. But they did not give it and were not ready to listen to us. Government should be honest and transparent about Chinese escalation,” he said.
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