Amid the commencement of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc, including Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and TMC MP Sougata Roy, among others, staged a protest in the Parliament premises on Monday.
Holding copies of the Constitution in their hands, the leaders chanted slogans to protect it while accusing the BJP of disrespecting it.
Speaking to the media about the protest, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Modi ji tried to break the Constitution; that's why today leaders of all parties have come together and are protesting. There was a Gandhi statue here. They are breaking all democratic norms. That's why today we want to show that, Modi ji, you should move ahead according to the Constitution."
Significantly, in his statement, Kharge also lashed out at PM Modi for his remarks about the emergency. He said, "He will say this 100 times. Without declaring an emergency, you are doing this. How long do you want to rule by talking about this?"
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that, apart from Kharge, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, speaking to the media from the protest site, attacked the BJP over the appointment of a pro-tem speaker. He said, "We are protesting because the provisions of the Constitution have been violated. The Constitution has been violated by the Narendra Modi government. The way the pro-tem speaker has been appointed is a clear violation of the constitutional provision and a clear violation of the earlier precedents." Another party MP, Sougata Roy, also targeted the center-ruling BJP, saying, "We are opposing the BJP's efforts to destroy the Constitution and amend it beyond recognition."
Meanwhile, pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab administered the oath to PM Modi and other elected MPs as members of the 18th Lok Sabha today. Significantly, PM Modi administered oath as a member of the Lok Sabha for a third consecutive term.
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