Lok Sabha adjourned amid opposition protests over Naravane memoir row

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were adjourned until 2 pm on Wednesday after loud protests by opposition members over issues linked to an unpublished “memoir” attributed to former Army chief M M Naravane.

As the House reassembled at noon, opposition MPs immediately raised slogans targeting the government, focusing on the 2020 military stand-off with China. The disruptions continued despite appeals from Speaker Om Birla to maintain order and allow parliamentary business to continue.

Amid the uproar, the Speaker permitted the routine laying of parliamentary papers on the table. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also managed to make a statement on the India–US trade agreement before the situation deteriorated further.

Congress MPs were seen holding banners and posters bearing images of General Naravane and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi waved a book during the protests. The Speaker strongly objected to the display of banners inside the House.

With opposition members continuing to register their protest, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings until the afternoon.

The House had earlier witnessed similar scenes during Question Hour. Only one question and its supplementary queries were taken up in a session that lasted around five minutes, before continued sloganeering forced another adjournment, this time until noon.

Birla repeatedly stressed that members must be allowed to ask questions and that parliamentary proceedings should be respected, but his appeals failed to calm the House.

The unrest follows the suspension on Tuesday of eight opposition MPs — seven from the Congress and one from the CPI(M) — for the remainder of the Budget session over what was described as unruly conduct.

Tensions have run high since Monday afternoon, after Rahul Gandhi was prevented from quoting an article referring to an unpublished memoir by General Naravane, which reportedly touched on the 2020 India–China border tensions.

With PTI inputs