Lok Sabha Adjourned Till 2 PM Amid Opposition Protest Over Naravane Memoir

Following protests by Opposition members over issues pertaining to the unpublished "memoir" of former Army chief M M Naravane, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned until 2 pm on Wednesday.

Opposition members were shouting anti-government slogans on the 2020 standoff with China as soon as the House reconvened at midday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla permitted the placement of parliamentary papers on the House table amid the commotion. Piyush Goyal, the minister of commerce, later spoke on the trade deal between the US and India.

Congress members had brought banners and posters featuring the former Army chief and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was seen flashing a book in the House.

The Speaker criticised the opposition members for putting up banners and posters in the Lok Sabha and advised members to preserve the House's decorum amid the sloganeering.

The Speaker postponed the proceedings till 2:00 pm due to the persistent opposition members.

Similar demonstrations had previously taken place during Question Hour in the House.

Amid the protests, Speaker Om Birla said members should be allowed to ask questions and that everyone should respect the proceedings as well as maintain decorum in the House.

One question and its supplements were taken up during the Question Hour that lasted for around five minutes.

The Speaker postponed the proceedings till noon due to the ongoing clamour.

Due to their disruptive behaviour, eight Opposition members—seven from the Congress and one from the CPI-M—were suspended on Tuesday for the duration of the Budget session.

After Gandhi was barred from mentioning an article that referenced an unpublished "memoir" of Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict, the House has been in a frenzy since Monday afternoon.