Lok Sabha Erupts in Chaos Over Caste Remarks and Disruptions
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha witnessed significant disruption on Wednesday as Opposition members engaged in intense slogan-shouting, disrupting proceedings throughout the day. The uproar stemmed from BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s contentious remarks about caste, directed at the Leader of the Lok Sabha.
During his address on Tuesday, Thakur made a provocative comment regarding the caste background of individuals discussing the census. He criticized the Congress party, saying, “Some people talk about OBCs, but for them (the Congress), OBC stands for ‘only for brother-in-law commission’. This party will talk about other backward castes?” His comments ignited strong reactions from the Opposition, who began chanting slogans such as ‘have shame,’ ‘Modi sarkar saamne aao’ (Modi government come forward), among others.
The commotion continued unabated even when Congress MP Kirsan Namdeo attempted to pose a question to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, further impeding the day’s legislative activities.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla condemned the disruptions, emphasizing that such behavior was unacceptable. “This is not the right way. A person from your faction is raising a question, and you are not letting them speak?” Birla asserted, reminding members that every representative has the right to address issues pertinent to their constituencies.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also criticized the Opposition, particularly targeting Congress and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Rijiju accused the Congress party of focusing excessively on caste issues while failing to address broader national concerns. “The Congress party always talks about caste all the time, but not about how they have weakened this country by raising questions on our Indian Army, demotivating them, and working just to weaken the nation,” Rijiju stated.
The ongoing chaos in the Lok Sabha underscores the heightened political tensions and the challenges faced in maintaining decorum and effective debate in Parliament.
