The Winter Session of Parliament commenced on a highly controversial note as Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury stirred a major row by bringing a stray dog onto the Parliament premises. The incident, which occurred on the first day of the session, quickly escalated into a political spat, with Chowdhury taking a sharp jab at the government, stating that the "real dogs are sitting in Parliament" who regularly bite people.
The Incident and Chowdhury's Justification
According to Renuka Chowdhury, she discovered the puppy on her way to Parliament that morning. She claimed to have witnessed a collision between a scooter and a car and noticed the puppy wandering near the roadside. Fearing for its safety, she decided to pick it up and transport it in her official vehicle. The MP asserted that the animal remained in the car and left when the vehicle departed after dropping her off.
Defending her actions to ANI, Chowdhury said, "Is there any law? I was on my way. A scooter collided with a car. This little puppy was wandering on the road. I thought it would get hit by the wheel. So I picked it up, put it in the car, came to Parliament, and sent it back." She questioned the need for discussion around her act of compassion for a mute animal.
Political Barbs and Protocol Breach Allegations
The situation intensified when Chowdhury directly targeted the government and fellow parliamentarians. "The real ones who bite are sitting in Parliament. They run the government. We take care of a mute animal, and this has become a big issue... Does the government have nothing else to do?" she questioned, adding that she had instructed the dog to be taken to a home.
However, her actions were met with severe criticism from BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. He accused the Congress MP of creating unnecessary "tamasha" (theatrics) and blatantly breaching parliamentary protocol. Pal emphasized that members are not permitted to bring anyone, including animals, inside the premises without proper documentation and called for strict action against Chowdhury from the Chairman of the House.
"You are not serious about debating issues... you are making a joke of Parliament with such tamasha," Pal stated, urging her to focus on issues of public importance instead of indulging in drama.
Chaotic Start to the Winter Session
Concurrently, the Winter Session itself began on a disorderly note. The Lok Sabha witnessed continuous protests and slogan-shouting by Opposition MPs demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise nationwide. As Opposition members chanted "vote chor, gaddi chod", proceedings had to be suspended until 2 PM by the presiding MP, Sandhya Rai.
In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were also adjourned until 2 PM. This followed initial discussions where MPs from various parties felicitated the new Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President, C P Radhakrishnan, who assumed his duties in September.
The dual controversies—the dog row and the protest-led adjournments—marked a tumultuous opening for the parliamentary session, highlighting the deep-seated tensions between the ruling and opposition benches.
