Congress returns to LS along with placards, protests

NEW DELHI: Congress returned to the Lok Sabha on Monday from its week-long boycott with slogans and banners, disrupting the proceedings but suffering a significant loss in ally Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who insisted that the House run and a discussions be held to break the deadlock.

Congress MPs trooped into the well after their leader in LS Mallikarjuna Kharge slammed foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's statement that she helped “fugitive" Lalit Modi on humanitarian grounds. He said the statement made in the absence of the opposition last week was a misrepresentation. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she would allow a discussion later and not adjourn the proceedings to take it up straightaway, asking Kharge to stop.

Full-throated slogans from young MPs K C Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, Sushmi ta Deb, Ravneet Bittu and Ranjeeta Ranjan caused serious trouble to the proceedings. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were present in the entire first session and then after lunch.

Sonia held a long chat with TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, apparently to ensure that they didn't bolt with Mulayam. The protests were stronger in the afternoon session when Kodikunnil Suresh tried to block the deputy Speaker's view with banners, ensuring the House worked only one hour post-lunch.

The Congress intent was clear at the start. Majahan repeatedly urged the MPs to avoid coming to the well and asked them not to display placards, the supposed provocation for suspension of 25 MPs last week. But the placards were held high to get into the cameras broadcasting the proceedings, turning the session into a cat-and-mouse game between Congress MPs and cameramen-handlers seeking new angles.