Uproar over Rahul's India-China remarks rocks Budget Session; Lok Sabha adjourned for the day, 8 Cong MPs suspended

Parliament Budget Session Live: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after repeated adjournments on Tuesday amid protests and sloganeering by opposition members over the recently announced India-US trade deal. At least eight Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) have been suspended for ‘untuly’ behaviour.

The lower house met at 2 PM, with the house chairman, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, calling on the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, to speak. Continuing from where he left off on Monday, Rahul Gandhi authenticated the magazine that published excerpts from an unpublished ‘memoir’ of former Army chief M M Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict.

“A very important matter in the President's speech is a matter relating to national security. Our relationship between the Pakistanis, the Chinese, and us. There is a very important point in this article that I have authenticated. It speaks about the PM's reaction...Our President's address was about the path India has to take. Today. On the world stage, the main issue in international affairs is the conflict between China and the US," Rahul Gandhi said raising India-China issue again.

This, the Congress leader said, is central to our President's address. "All I am saying is let me make a statement about what happened between China and India and how our PM reacted to it. Why am I being stopped?,” Rahul Gandhi asked. The BJP MPs objected to Rahul Gandhi speaking on this issue.

The BJP leaders opposed it and said that the speaker Om Birla had already given a ruling against referring to the magazine article. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the issue can't be raised.

Eventually, the chair asked other members to start speaking, since Rahul had stuck to the India-China clashes. The opposition raised slogans, and the chair adjourned the house till 3 PM – the third adjournment for the day. House resumed at 3 and was adjourned for the day amid protests.

What happened earlier in the day?

Soon after the obituary references, the Opposition members began sloganeering over the trade deal. The members shouted 'Howdi-Modi' slogans referring to the mega event held on 22 September 2019, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, United States, attended by Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The opposition alleged on Tuesday that the Union government has neither made an official statement nor taken Parliament into confidence. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, returning to Delhi, is likely to make a statement in Parliament today, according to a report by news agency PTI quoting sources.

House Adjourned till noon

Amid the slogans, speaker Om Birla adjourned the house for an hour. The protests returned when the house reconvened again at 12 noon. Amid slogans, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over the proceedings, urged members to let the house function. Since the protests continued, he adjourned the house till 2 pm.

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US and India had agreed to a trade deal. President Trump announced on Monday night (IST) that India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will reduce the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent. Trump said this after a phone conversation with PM Modi, announced by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who joined last month.

Parliament not taken into confidence: Congress

On Tuesday, Congress MP KC Venugopal gave a notice of adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to discuss the India-US Trade Agreement.

“Despite the significant economic, agricultural, and strategic implications of these reported commitments, the Government has neither made an official statement nor taken Parliament into confidence,” Venugopal said

The country has the right to know the exact terms and conditions of the proposed trade deal, and it is imperative that the Government place all details before Parliament and the nation, he added.

"Given the urgency and public importance of the matter, this issue warrants immediate discussion through an Adjournment Motion," the Congress leader said.

"The country has the right to know the exact terms and conditions of the proposed trade deal, and it is imperative that the Government place all details before Parliament and the nation, he added.

"Given the urgency and public importance of the matter, this issue warrants immediate discussion through an Adjournment Motion," the Congress leader added.

Govt ready to give a detailed statement: Nadda

In Rajya Sabha, responding to the Opposition MPs raising the India-US trade agreement in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister JP Nadda said US President tweeted on tariffs and referred to PM Modi as a true friend last night.

"After this, the PM tweeted, thanking the US President and on trade deal. The government will issue a suo motu statement on this trade deal and also hold a discussion on it. When the government is ready to give a detailed statement, this attitude of Congress and the INDIA is wrong. It is their frustration which is speaking," the BJP leader said.

The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till 2 pm.

There has been no official government statement on the deal. While top ministers have mentioned a reduction in the reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, no social media post mentioned anything about Russian Oil and other things claimed by President Trump in the social media post after speaking with PM Modi on Monday night.

‘Congress swipe at PM’

Earlier, the Congress took a swipe at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government, soon after US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US and India had agreed to a trade deal. The opposition party said it appears the prime minister has ‘capitulated finally’ and that this ‘cannot be the father of all deals.’

The Lok Sabha was marred by protests on Monday too. A massive political row ensued when Leader of Opposition (LoP), speaking during the Budget Session of Parliament, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and sought to read about India-China clashes from excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief MM Naravane.

The excerpts published in a magazine evoked a backlash from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders who accused him of misleading the House and belittling the armed forces. The house was adjourned for the day amid repeated protests in the house.