The Rajya Sabha session on Thursday was marked by sustained disruptions as Opposition MPs pressed for the immediate rollback of the Special Investigation Report (SIR) in Bihar until after this year’s Assembly elections. Deputy Chair Ghanshyam Tiwari repeatedly urged members to maintain decorum and allow Question Hour to proceed, but protests continued, with some TMC MPs even occupying the Well and chanting slogans. In response to the ongoing din, the Chair adjourned the House until 2 pm.
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda criticized the walkout by Opposition parties when Home Minister Amit Shah began addressing the debate on Operation Sindoor. Nadda contrasted the current situation with the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, when both the Prime Minister and Home Minister had answered questions in Parliament. He stressed that it is the government’s prerogative to decide which minister speaks, and accused the Opposition of double standards for demanding discussion on Operation Sindoor but then refusing to engage.
Earlier, Deputy Chair Harivansh lamented that, despite 120 questions and 120 Zero Hour mentions being scheduled for the monsoon session, only 11 questions, three Zero Hour mentions, and 17 special mentions were addressed—resulting in over 30 hours of lost time. He read out the 1997 Golden Jubilee resolution, which calls on MPs to preserve the prestige of Parliament by adhering to the Rules of Procedure and refraining from slogan-shouting.
Meanwhile, under Rule 267, 28 notices seeking to set aside the day’s business for urgent debates were submitted but rejected for procedural nonconformity. Among those pressing for debate were BJD MPs—Niranjan Bishi, Debashish Samantaray, Sulata Deo, Sasmit Patra, Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, Suhasish Khuntia, and Muzibulla Khan—who demanded discussion on the rising incidence of heinous crimes against women in Odisha.
