New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the second time on the first day of the Monsoon Session on Monday after proceedings resumed for only seven minutes amid intense sloganeering by Opposition members.
The House had been adjourned earlier until noon. After reconvening at 12:00 pm, repeated attempts by Dilip Saikia, who was chairing the sitting, to restore order failed as Opposition benches continued to raise slogans. The Speaker subsequently adjourned the House until 12:30 pm.
The sitting began with Speaker Om Birla paying homage to former MPs who passed away, but was soon disrupted by vocal protests from the Opposition. Speaker Birla urged members to maintain decorum, stressing that Parliament is the highest forum of democracy and that time would be allotted to all who wished to speak.
At the start of the Monsoon Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for constructive debate and cooperative functioning of the House. Speaking to the media, he said India's current challenges require the experience of seasoned parliamentarians and urged members to ensure meaningful discussions. “Where there are facts and where there is logic, there is no place for creating a storm,” he said, calling on MPs to let every voice be heard through reasoned argument.
(Inputs from IANS)