New Delhi, 6th August. Shortly after INDIA bloc parties conducted a protest on the steps leading to the Makar Dwar of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla slammed the demonstration as “not appropriate.”
He reminded members of the previously reached consensus prohibiting protests at Parliament entrances.
The protest, organized by MPs from parties such as Trinamool Congress (TMC), Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar, aimed to demand the rollback of the 18 percent GST on life and health insurance premiums. Demonstrators carried placards reading “Tax Terrorism” and chanted slogans urging the repeal of the GST.
After the papers were laid on the table, Speaker Birla addressed the issue, stating, “After discussions with all parties, a consensus was reached that protests and demonstrations would not be held on any of the Dwars (entrances) of the Parliament House. Many members, especially women, had written to me expressing inconvenience due to the blockage.”
Birla emphasized that once a consensus is reached, it is everyone’s responsibility to adhere to it. He added, “I had gone there in the morning; this is not appropriate.”
In response, Congress MP Manickam Tagore and TMC member Kalyan Banerjee questioned where the opposition should protest, highlighting that Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, the traditional site for demonstrations, had been relocated. Banerjee continued to raise concerns even as the Speaker proceeded with other parliamentary matters.
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