Opposition MPs (Rahul, Sonia, Priyanka, Kanimozhi) don masks at Makar Dwar, protesting AQI 405+ smog, demand pollution debate alongside SIR.
Houses adjourned repeatedly; 20 Rule 267 rejections, walkouts; Priyanka slams govt silence on 'unbreathable' air affecting kids/elderly.
Modi calls it 'drama', BJP slams insults, INDIA bloc vows disruption till reforms addressed in shortest-ever Winter Session.
Opposition MPs Wear Masks In Parliament To Protest
As Winter Session Day 3 opens amid AQI spikes to 405 at Akshardham, INDIA bloc lawmakers enter Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha wearing masks, demanding urgent debate on NCR smog crisis while PM Modi accuses them of 'drama' in a House already stalled over SIR and security.
Summary
In a dramatic escalation of the Winter Session's chaos, several Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc arrived at Parliament on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, donning gas masks to protest the worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) has plunged into the 'severe' category, choking the capital with hazardous smog.
The symbolic act, featuring Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alongside DMK's Kanimozhi and TMC's Sagarika Ghose, unfolded outside the Makar Dwar entrance, with protesters holding placards reading 'Stop SIR-Stop Vote Chori' and 'Breathe Free Delhi', blending air quality concerns with demands for electoral reforms.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, addressing reporters, lambasted the government for ignoring "urgent issues like pollution and SIR," stating, "The air in Delhi is unbreathable, children and the elderly are suffocating. Parliament must discuss this now, not hide behind adjournments." The demonstration, captured in viral videos showing MPs struggling with masks amid chants of "Pollution Hatao, Sansad Sunwao," amplified public outrage as Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data revealed AQI levels hitting 405 at Akshardham, 420 near AIIMS, and 396 at Burari, bordering 'hazardous' and far exceeding WHO safe limits of 50.
The protest compounded the session's turmoil, with both Houses adjourned multiple times on Day 3 after Opposition MPs stormed the Well demanding discussions on SIR voter deletions, the Red Fort blast, and now pollution, issues flagged since Day 1 but dismissed by the Chair. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected 20 Rule 267 notices, prompting a walkout, while Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla decried the "drama" as an insult to parliamentary decorum. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury's quip, "Those who bite are inside Parliament", drew BJP ire, with Shahnawaz Hussain retorting that the Opposition's habit of criticizing institutions has become "unbearable."
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