- By Aditya Jha
- Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:14 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Several opposition members of Parliament on Monday protested inside the Lok Sabha during an ongoing session, demanding a discussion on the Mahakumbh stampede that killed more than 30 people last week. The MPs raised several slogans such as "Kumbh pe jawab do" and demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The protesting parliamentarians sought the list of the casualties of the stampede.
The MPs accused that state government of hiding the actual number of deaths, adding that the government refused to confirm fatalities even after several hours of the stampede. The opposition MPs also claimed that while the stampede took place at more than one location, the government did not inform about any such cases.
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In a video shared by news agency ANI, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla could be seen asking the protesting MPs to go back to their seats. The speaker could also be seen reminding the MPs of their job, adding that the opposition parliamentarians did not want a smooth functioning of the parliament.
"... people sent you to Parliament to ask questions, not break tables. If that is what you want to do, then hit it harder... break it," Birla could be seen saying to Pradyut Bordoloi, the Congress MP from Assam's Nowgong seat.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also said that the opposition MPs must understand that this approach will not help in the smooth functioning of the parliament. He urged the protesting MPs to not interrupt in the functioning of the house. The opposition MPs even protested while the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2025-26.
The opposition MPs, led by Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, even walked out during the budget speech for a brief period of time. The MPs returned after a while, but they continued their demand for a discussion over the stampede in Mahakumbh.
