Is the Rajya Sabha in Chaos After PM Modi's Comment on Kharge?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Feb 5 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark regarding Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's age — implying that the 83-year-old Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha should be permitted to raise slogans while seated — initiated a tumultuous session in Parliament.
Delivered with his usual incisiveness, the comment provoked immediate backlash from the opposition, who were already engaged in chanting slogans within the Upper House.
They perceived it as an affront to Kharge's seniority and health.
What ensued was an escalation of protests, transforming the Upper House into a venue of slogans and interruptions.
The Rajya Sabha spiraled into disorder on Thursday as PM Modi began addressing the Motion of Thanks on the President's address.
Members of the Congress and the INDIA coalition erupted in synchronized chanting, declaring "Tanashahi nahi, Indira ji ka apmaan nahi sahenge" and "Leader of the Opposition ko bolne do", insisting that Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak freely in the Lok Sabha.
This protest was not merely procedural; it echoed tensions from the previous day when Rahul Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha was repeatedly interrupted over references to a yet-to-be-published memoir by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane, concerning the 2020 India-China border conflict.
Subsequently, opposition members staged a walkout.
Opposition MPs accused the Union government of stifling discussion on national security and showing disrespect towards prominent figures like former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
The ruling benches maintained that Rahul Gandhi's remarks violated House rules and threatened to undermine institutional integrity.
Amid the uproar, PM Modi addressed Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, continuing his speech despite the vocal opposition.
His comments centered on the achievements of the Union government and responses to the President's address, yet the atmosphere remained charged.
Earlier, Upper House Leader JP Nadda had already escalated tensions by labeling the opposition's behavior as immature, paving the way for the confrontational exchanges that followed.