Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow following intense disruptions over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Dr B.R. Ambedkar and a contentious debate on the Constitution.
The Winter Session of Parliament, which commenced on 25 November and is slated to conclude on 20 December, remains fraught with chaos.
Protests erupted after Shah criticised the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi family during a Rajya Sabha debate on the Constitution's 75th anniversary.
Legislation in Lok Sabha
Earlier in the Lok Sabha, several legislative matters, including the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Bill, 2024, and the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024, were listed for discussion.
However, proceedings were disrupted due to the opposition’s demands for an apology from Shah.
Simultaneously, the government introduced two key bills aimed at implementing simultaneous national and state elections.
The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill will now be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for scrutiny.
Shah’s remarks and Opposition reactions
In the Rajya Sabha, Shah remarked during his address, “They (Congress) did nothing except eulogising Nehru-Gandhi family,” while concluding the debate on the Constitution. He further criticised Congress's handling of Ambedkar’s legacy.
Shah’s comments sparked a sharp backlash, with Congress leaders accusing him of insulting Ambedkar.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined the fray, calling Shah’s remarks a display of the BJP’s “casteist and anti-Dalit mindset.”
Writing on social media platform X, she remarked, “This is a display of BJP’s CASTEIST and ANTI-DALIT mindset. If this is how they behave after being reduced to 240 seats, imagine the damage they’d have inflicted if their dream of 400 seats had been realised. They’d have rewritten history to entirely erase Dr Ambedkar’s contributions.”
Chirag Paswan criticises Congress
Union Minister Chirag Paswan also waded into the debate, criticising the Congress for “pretending” to respect Ambedkar.
He stated, “This is the same Congress which did not consider it necessary to give respect to Baba Saheb Ambedkar while he was alive. Congress is only in a competition, why? Because today Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government at the Centre have worked to develop and identify the major events related to Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s life.”
The repeated disruptions have overshadowed discussions on critical legislative matters as the Winter Session enters its final week.
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