In the midst of the ongoing political confrontation in Parliament, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has brought attention to a historical incident involving former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Ramesh shared archival footage on social media platform X, highlighting an event from June 10, 2004, when Singh was reportedly prevented from delivering his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Historical Parallels Drawn by Congress
Jairam Ramesh, in a series of posts on X, claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party had blocked then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from speaking during the parliamentary proceedings in 2004. This reference comes amid the current political impasse in the Lok Sabha, where similar disruptions have occurred.
The shared video from 2005 shows Manmohan Singh addressing the House, where he reflected on the previous year's incident. Quoting Singh's words, Ramesh recalled the former Prime Minister stating, "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I deem it a great privilege to be standing here today to express the gratitude of our Government to the respected Rashtrapatiji for his address to members of both Houses of Parliament." This statement subtly acknowledged the disruption he faced in 2004.
Current Parliamentary Crisis Escalates
The parliamentary standoff reached a critical point on Wednesday when women opposition MPs staged a dramatic protest. Carrying banners, they rushed towards the Prime Minister's seat to demonstrate against a US trade deal and former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished book. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not present in the House during this incident.
The disruption occurred around 5 PM, precisely when PM Modi was scheduled to reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks. BJP member P P Chaudhary was speaking when opposition members entered the Well of the House, creating chaos. Despite efforts by Chair Sandhya Rai to restore order, the situation deteriorated, leading to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha and the cancellation of PM Modi's address.
Roots of the Controversy
The current row initially began on Monday when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote excerpts from General Naravane's unpublished book during a Parliament session. Gandhi sought to raise issues related to the India-China confrontation in August 2020 but faced repeated interruptions from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and later Home Minister Amit Shah. Both ministers objected to the use of what they described as an unverified source.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who authored the book in question, served as the Army Chief during the Ladakh confrontation, adding significance to the references made by opposition members.
Suspensions and Ongoing Tensions
The political atmosphere remains tense following Tuesday's suspension of eight opposition MPs for the remainder of the Budget session. This group includes seven Congress members and one from the CPI(M). While Prime Minister Modi is now scheduled to speak in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, his Lok Sabha address stands cancelled, with the Motion of Thanks having been passed amidst the turmoil.
The juxtaposition of the 2004 incident involving Manmohan Singh and the current parliamentary deadlock highlights recurring patterns of political discord in India's legislative proceedings. As both sides exchange accusations, the focus remains on how these disruptions impact governance and parliamentary decorum.
