In a dramatic escalation of political tensions, the Lok Sabha witnessed a heated confrontation on Tuesday as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resulting in the suspension of eight Opposition MPs for the remainder of the Budget Session. The standoff centered on Gandhi's attempts to discuss excerpts from former Army Chief General M M Naravane's unpublished memoir, which he used to critique the Modi government's handling of a military face-off with China in eastern Ladakh in August 2020.
Parliamentary Chaos and Suspensions
For the second consecutive day, Rahul Gandhi sought to raise issues of national security by referencing General Naravane's book, Four Stars of Destiny, as highlighted in a recent essay in The Caravan magazine. Despite being directed by the Chair not to proceed, Gandhi persisted, leading to his speech being cut short. In protest, several Opposition MPs entered the Well of the House and threw papers at the Speaker's podium, an act deemed as misconduct.
BJP MP Dilip Saikia, who was presiding over the session, named the MPs involved, stating, "These members were shouting slogans and tearing up papers on the floor of the House, so I am naming them all." Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju then moved a resolution to suspend the MPs for their "utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair." The suspended members include Congress MPs Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, Prasant Padole, Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Manickam Tagore, along with CPI(M)'s S Venkatesan.
Gandhi's Allegations and Political Strategy
Rahul Gandhi later wrote to Speaker Om Birla, arguing that his prevention from speaking violated a "long-standing convention" allowing members to quote authenticated documents. He asserted, "Preventing me from speaking in the Lok Sabha today not only violates this convention, but also gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity as the Leader of the Opposition, from speaking on matters of national security."
Outside Parliament, Gandhi escalated his criticism, claiming that PM Modi is "scared" and "compromised." He pointed to a recent trade deal and alleged pressure from cases involving industrialist Gautam Adani and the Epstein files in the US. "Modi's image balloon, created by spending thousands of crores, could burst," Gandhi told reporters, adding that the Prime Minister had "sold out farmers" and the country due to being compromised.
Government Response and Opposition Unity
The Ministry of External Affairs had previously dismissed any impropriety regarding PM Modi's name in the Epstein files, calling the references "trashy rumination by a convicted criminal." Meanwhile, sources within the Congress indicated that Gandhi's aggressive stance is a deliberate strategy to target Modi, shifting from earlier issues like "vote theft" and social justice to focus on national security and alleged compromises.
Despite some internal concerns about disrupting Parliament, the Congress leadership appears committed to this approach, with other Opposition parties showing solidarity. When called to speak, MPs from the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, and DMK refused, signaling a unified front against the government's actions.
This incident marks a significant pivot in Rahul Gandhi's political tactics, as he seeks to galvanize opposition around themes of accountability and security, setting the stage for further confrontations in the ongoing Budget Session.
