Did the Lok Sabha adjourn after a heated debate over Naravane's 'unpublished' book?
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New Delhi, Feb 2 (NationPress) On Monday, the Lok Sabha experienced a fierce confrontation between the Congress party and the ruling BJP concerning former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished manuscript addressing the Doklam standoff between India and China in 2020.
As tensions surged into a direct clash between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and senior Union Ministers, Speaker Om Birla, observing no signs of resolution, decided to adjourn the House until 3 p.m.
Gandhi, who commenced the Opposition’s reaction to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, initiated his remarks by citing some ‘uncomfortable truths’ regarding the India-China 2020 standoff at the border, allegedly sourced from an “unverified” book.
However, he was interrupted shortly into his address by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, followed by Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
While the Congress MP asserted that an article published in a prominent magazine was based on memoirs written by former Army chief Naravane, and thus warranted public disclosure, Rajnath Singh refuted this claim, stating that the book had never been published, which he deemed misleading to the House.
Undeterred, Gandhi continued to allege that the government was obstructing the publication of the book. Congress MPs rallied behind him, urging the Speaker to permit him to quote from the controversial book, which allegedly mentions “Chinese tanks in Doklam.”
This led to a response from Home Minister Amit Shah and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who labeled it a serious breach of Parliamentary conduct.
Amid chaotic scenes, the opposition and treasury benches engaged in a dispute over the rules, questioning the appropriateness of referencing claims from an unverified source.
The Speaker attempted to mediate with the Opposition, but they remained steadfast in their demands.
As the turmoil persisted, the House was ultimately adjourned until 3 p.m.