Replying to the exhortations from the Congress over the Rafale issue, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday took a dig at the Congress and asked them what was stopping them from discussing the issue with the government. Replying to the Congress's demands for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, Singh said while the Modi government has been asking for a discussion on the matter, the Congress has been running away from it.
He further said that repeating a lie would not make it a truth. Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said there has been a scam in the deal and questioned the government on why they were not disclosing the price of jets. He also demanded a JPC on the matter.
Protests and sloganeering by the Opposition ensured that the proceedings of the Lok Sabha were disrupted again on Monday. The Congress continued with their demand for a JPC probe into the deal, while NDA constituent AIADMK protested over the Cauvery issue. The TDP reiterated their demand for a special status for Andhra Pradesh.
As many as 25 members from various parties continued to shout slogans and displayed placards in the Well of the House, forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to first adjourn the House for about 10 minutes till noon.
And yet, Monday was one of the rare days of the session when the House took up issues from members during the Question Hour, ensuring it continued for nearly an hour despite the disruptions. The House fielded over six questions from several MPs. BJP MP Anurag Thakur raised the issue of monkey and stray cattle menace in Himachal Pradesh, stating that they were harming crops. JDU MP Kaushalendra Kumar demanded that the Centre should provide pension to every senior citizen in the country. BJP MP Rama Devi spoke about the dues of sugarcane farmers in her constituency Sheohar, seeking relief. Another BJP MP,
Nishikant Dubey demanded a National Register of Citizens in Jharkhand as well, citing the presence of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants which he has impacted the demography of the state.
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