Lok Sabha Disruption: Heated Exchange Between Congress MPs and BJP

In a chaotic session of the Lok Sabha on July 25, 2024, a lively debate erupted between Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi and Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu. Their heated exchange turned into a war of words, leading to two adjournments of the House as tensions flared on both the Treasury and Opposition benches.

During the discussion, Mr. Channi brought up the assassination of Mr. Bittu’s grandfather, Beant Singh, a former Chief Minister of Punjab. In response, Mr. Bittu retaliated with personal remarks about senior Congress leaders. The Speaker of the House intervened to expunge the specific comments made, further escalating the situation.

Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring attempted to enter the Well of the House but was stopped by the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. Amidst the commotion, Mr. Bittu also tried to move to the Well, prompting BJP member Sandhya Ray, who was then presiding as Speaker, to adjourn the proceedings for 30 minutes.

When the Lok Sabha resumed, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for all unparliamentary remarks to be removed from the records. Mr. Channi continued his speech, accusing the government of failing to deliver on its promises to the farming community. He also highlighted that farmers had sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Channi described an “undeclared emergency” in the country, citing a lack of progress on key issues such as the treatment of farmers and women athletes. He pointedly mentioned a representative from Khadoor Sahib, claiming, “This too is an emergency, that a man who was elected by 20 lakh people in Punjab is behind bars under the NSA.”

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal countered Channi’s claims, asking him to authenticate his allegations regarding the invocation of the National Security Act against protesting farmers. Goyal also suggested that a privilege motion should be moved against Mr. Channi.

The uproar did not cease after Channi’s speech, leading BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, in the Speaker’s chair, to adjourn the House again until 3 p.m. Outside the House, Mr. Bittu criticized Channi for what he termed “anti-national” behavior and accused him of misleading the public through his statements.

In the broader context of the Lok Sabha debate, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy criticized Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, arguing that she lacked original ideas in her budget proposals. Congress MP Hibi Eden pointed out that despite Kerala facing significant financial difficulties, the Union government has failed to announce any special aid for the state.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also voiced concerns, stating that the government’s employment schemes seemed limited to just two years, drawing a parallel to the contentious Agniveer program in the armed forces.