As the Monsoon Session of Parliament began amid noisy protests by Opposition parties demanding a discussion on Operation Sindoor, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan folded his hands and appealed to MPs to return to their seats so that the House could address questions related to farmers during the scheduled Question Hour.
As soon as the Question Hour began in the Lok Sabha, Opposition MPs started creating an uproar. The agriculture minister had just risen to answer questions when Opposition members stood up with placards and began protesting. In response, Chouhan folded his hands and appealed to them, saying, "Today is the day of the farmers."
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Shivraj Singh Chouhan urges with folded hands
The minister urged the Opposition to allow Question Hour to proceed, emphasising the importance of addressing farmers' issues. "Hon'ble Speaker, my humble request is that today, out of the 20 listed questions, 11 pertain to farmers, the poor, and villagers," the minister said during the session. "I appeal to the Opposition to allow these important questions concerning farmers to be raised. We are fully prepared to respond to them."
He further added, "We also wish to use this opportunity to inform the House and the nation about the government's schemes for farmers. Today should be dedicated to farmers. Let us discuss agriculture, farmers, villages, and the poor. This is my sincere request."
'Nation is watching who stands with farmers': Shivraj Singh
Later, in an X post, the minister slammed the Opposition members for creating unnecessary disruptions and preventing discussions on these important issues.
"Today, discussions on agriculture, farmers, and rural development were scheduled in Parliament. During the Question Hour, 11 questions were related to farmers and villages. But it is highly unfortunate that the opposition is creating unnecessary disruptions, preventing discussions on these important issues," he said.
"Parliament is the sacred temple of democracy. Positive discussions on development and public welfare are the lifeblood of democracy. However, the opposition has not adhered to democratic decorum and has also disrespected the millions of farmers in the country," Chouhan said.
"I repeatedly urged the opposition to allow discussions on issues related to farmers' welfare. We were prepared to answer questions and present schemes for farmers' welfare through the House, but the opposition does not want discussions to take place. The country is watching who stands with the farmers and whose sole aim is to create chaos," the minister added.
Lok Sabha adjourned twice amid Opposition protests
The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice on Tuesday due to continuous protests by Opposition parties demanding a discussion on Operation Sindoor. This marked the second consecutive day of disruptions in the Monsoon Session, with Opposition MPs trooping into the Well of the House, raising slogans, and displaying placards.
Earlier in the day, when the House convened at 11 am, members of Congress and other Opposition parties were on their feet, pressing for a debate on the issue. Speaker Om Birla reminded them that sloganeering and placards are not allowed in the House and subsequently adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.
Later, when the House met at 12, the ruckus continued by the Opposition members; Jagdambika Pal, who was chairing the House, adjourned proceedings till 2 pm.
On the other hand, the same situation prevailed in the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha. As soon as the proceedings of the House started, the Opposition members started the uproar. Here too, Deputy Chairman Harivansh tried to convince the opposition members and urged them to remain calm, but due to the uproar continuing, the proceedings of the House had to be adjourned till 12 noon after four minutes.
The House could not function on the first day of the session on Monday due to repeated adjournments following Opposition protests over the demand for discussion on Operation Sindoor.
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