Stormy end likely for budget session's first half

The last working day of the first half of the budget session on Monday could witness escalation of Opposition protests over the manner of the suspension of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajani Patil, expunction of parts of speeches made by Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and about the role of the government and the presiding officers in the episodes.

Amid indications that a scheduled meeting of Opposition floor leaders on Monday morning would decide on escalating the House protest, including possible non-cooperation in the RS over Patil's suspension, the Congress leadership on Sunday accused the Centre of trying to establish an authoritarian dominance in Parliament.

"The BJP government is moving towards establishing an authoritarian dominance in Parliament by terrifying, terrorising, tormenting, and tyrannising the Opposition. The BJP does not want Parliament to run through consensus, collaboration and concordance, but through clash, chaos and conflict," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said at a press conference while referring to Patil's suspension and expunction of parts of Gandhi and Kharge's speeches.


Singhvi said: "The honourable Speaker and the honourable chairperson of the two respective Houses are constitutional office holders and the custodians and defenders of freedom of speech inside the Houses which is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, especially within the temple of democracy viz Parliament. Without their robust shield, the spirit of healthy parliamentary discussion and debate will perish. Freedom of speech is the foundation of our Constitution and even more so within the legislature. Each one of us has to defend the right to free speech on the floor of the two Houses. If the two Houses cease to be a space for free speech, then we will no longer be able to call ourselves a democracy."