New Delhi: Chaos disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped from reading excerpts from former Army chief General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished book, which reportedly refers to the 2020 India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh. The repeated protests led to the adjournment of the House and the suspension of eight Congress MPs for the remainder of the session.
Rahul Gandhi attempted for the second consecutive day to raise the issue in the House but was denied permission by Speaker Om Birla. Opposition members protested the decision, with some MPs refusing to speak when called upon, citing solidarity with the Leader of the Opposition. The disruptions escalated, forcing the Lok Sabha to adjourn for the day.
Following the uproar, eight Congress MPs, including Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Manickam Tagore, were suspended. Speaking to reporters later, Warring said Rahul Gandhi had authenticated the material and formally submitted it to the House. He questioned the decision to suspend members for protesting what he described as the denial of the opposition’s right to speak.
The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly criticised the Congress leader’s actions. BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting Parliament and the armed forces. He said House rules require prior permission to read unpublished material and accused the Congress of disrupting proceedings after the presentation of the Union Budget.
Government sources later said the Speaker’s decision was based on established parliamentary rules, which do not allow members to quote from unpublished documents without prior approval. Senior ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had also objected to the move on Monday, triggering earlier adjournments.
When the House reconvened on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said he had authenticated the contents of the book and questioned why he was still being stopped. He alleged that the ruling party was trying to silence him on the India-China border issue. Two opposition MPs from the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress declined to speak in a show of support.
Outside Parliament, Gandhi also criticised the recently announced India-US trade agreement. He questioned how the deal was finalised after months of stalled negotiations and claimed it would harm Indian farmers. He demanded full disclosure of the terms of the agreement and called for a parliamentary debate.
The government rejected the allegations, saying sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy remain protected. Official sources said the trade agreement does not compromise farmers’ interests and that details will be shared through appropriate channels.
The Congress has demanded that the full text of the India-US trade deal be tabled in Parliament, as disruptions continued to affect legislative business for a second straight day.
