Chaos rules Parliament

New Delhi: Parliament logged another futile day on Tuesday as both the Houses were adjourned without holding debates on the scheduled business of the day. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc face off as the two sides accused one another of illegitimate links to controversial billionaires Gautam Adani and George Soros. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla condemned the MPs for their misconduct and for dishonouring the House.

"Ours is the largest democracy in the world and it fulfils the hopes and aspirations of (over a billion) people. We have to maintain that dignity... but I have seen things happening that are not good," the Speaker said amid chaos. "Be it members from the Opposition or the ruling party, everyone should maintain dignity and work in such a way that a positive message goes out of this 'temple of democracy'," Birla said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress and its leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, of colluding with US billionaire George Soros and "anti-India forces". 

Soros has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and has also while his organisation Open Society Foundation has voiced support for Kashmir as an “independent nation”.

Rijiju’s remarks, made during Zero Hour, sparked chaos, with Opposition members entering the Well of the House. He further criticised Congress leaders for wearing masks and jackets depicting caricatures, which he deemed disrespectful to Parliament. The disruptions led to the Lok Sabha’s adjournment for the day, preventing other members from raising issues related to their constituencies.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed unruly scenes, forcing an adjournment. Leader of the House JP Nadda sparked a confrontation by alleging links between the Congress leadership and George Soros, claiming they were conspiring to destabilise the country.

Nadda specifically questioned Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s involvement as “co-chair of an organisation funded by Soros”, raising concerns about national security. As Nadda spoke, treasury benches raised slogans against the Congress, demanding answers. Congress Deputy Leader of the House Pramod Tiwari refuted the allegations and countered with accusations against the Adani Group, citing a US Attorney’s claim of Rs 23,000 crore in bribes paid. The escalating exchanges from both sides prompted the Chairman to adjourn the Rajya Sabha for the day.