Disruptions continue in Parliament; audio of televised proceedings of the Lok Sabha muted 

First week of Budget Session’s second leg washed out with both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned after 20 minutes; Opposition members react sharply to Sansad TV audio being muted, accuse the ruling party of stifling their voices; ruling and Opposition parties stick to their stance

The first week of the second leg of the Budget Session was a washout, as both ruling and Opposition parties hardened their stance, with the audio of the televised proceedings of the Lok Sabha being muted.

Sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat told The Hindu that the audio of the televised proceedings got muted because of a “technical issue” but the Opposition members reacted sharply and accused the ruling establishment of stifling their voices.

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day in 20 minutes after it convened in the morning amid slogan shouting by both Treasury and Opposition benches. The ruling side continued to demand an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged “anti-India” remarks that he made in the U.K, while the Opposition reiterated its call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue. Adding to the chorus, the Congress members, soon after the House assembled for the day trooped into the Well demanding that Mr. Gandhi, who was present in the House, be allowed to speak. Coinciding with their slogans “ Rahul Ji Ko Bolne Do” (Let Mr. Gandhi speak), the audio of Sansad TV was muted.

On Friday, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at his chamber, asserted that there cannot be any breakthrough unless Mr. Gandhi is allowed to speak. “It is his right to speak and respond to the allegations on the floor of the House,” Mr. Chowdhury said. “How can you break the logjam when the ruling party is resorting to disruptions?” the Congress MP asked. Mr. Gandhi had met the Speaker on Thursday.

Mr. Birla’s exhortations to bring the House in order went in vain. “Honourable members, I appeal to you to allow the House to run smoothly. People did not send you here to do this. I will give everyone an opportunity to speak, but the House has to be in order,” Mr. Birla said. As protesting members ignored his pleas, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

Congress reacted sharply to the audio of Sansad TV being muted. Party’s Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi called it “a new low for democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, “The muting of sound on Sansad TV is a new technique. You don’t need to switch off individual microphones if you can shut down the transmission of sound to the world!”

Party’s general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh speaking to The Hindu further elaborated on the point. “Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar claimed a few days ago that mikes are never switched off in India’s Parliament. I had immediately challenged that claim and incurred his displeasure. This morning mikes were indeed switched off in the Lok Sabha for more than 15 minutes and there is conclusive evidence for it,” he said.