DMK MPs protest during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, on March 20, 2025
| Photo Credit: Sansad TV
The two Houses of Parliament witnessed adjournments on Thursday (March 20, 2025) as DMK MPs protested in the House wearing T-shirts with slogans on the issue of delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day without transacting any major business. This is the first day during the second part of the Budget Session when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned without transacting any business except for the laying of papers.
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Soon after the House met in the morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar allowed the laying of papers and some reports of the parliamentary standing committees, after which he adjourned the House for about an hour.
He said he wanted to meet leaders of political parties over what he witnessed in the House. Without sharing details of what he witnessed, Mr. Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till noon.
“I will be calling a meeting of floor leaders in my chambers at 11.30 am today. I would share with the members what I have seen in the House a while ago,” he said soon after listed papers were laid on the floor of the House.
While the chairman did not cite any reason for the adjournment, the issue of DMK members wearing T-shirts with slogans written on them was objected to by the chairman.
Some of the DMK MPs attended the House proceedings wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Delimitation – Tamil Nadu will fight, Tamil Nadu will win”, which was objected to by the Chair.
Some MPs also donned stoles that played upon Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks on DMK MPs’ protest in Lok Sabha against the three-language formula of National Education Policy (NEP), and had the word “uncivilised” written on it, with the first two alphabets ‘U’ and ‘N’ having been crossed.
As the deadlock over the issue continued, when the House reassembled at noon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh announced that the proceedings had been adjourned again for another 15 minutes.
At 12.15 pm, he again came amid the deadlock and announced that the House stood adjourned till 2 pm.
As soon as it reconvened at 2 pm, the deputy chairman announced that the House stood adjourned for the day.
“The House stands adjourned to meet at 11 am on Friday, 21st March,” Deputy Chairman Harivansh informed members.
Lok Sabha adjourned too
The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 12 noon, 2 pm, and later for the day. Amid sloganeering by opposition members, Speaker Om Birla said the House runs by norms and decorum. He disapproved of any member wearing a T-shirt and said the House would not function with such behaviour by members.
A DMK MP wearing a T-shirt printed with a slogan on delimitation during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi, on March 20, 2025
| Photo Credit:
PTI
He said members should read Rule 349 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business.
Mr. Birla said some MPs are not following the rules and violating the dignity of the House which is not acceptable.
Speaking with ANI later, DMK MP Kanimozhi said BJP members had also carried out protests when they were in the Opposition.
“This is a new rule they’ve invented this morning… We have seen members of different parties coming to the Parliament in clothes with slogans written on them. BJP has also protested inside the Parliament. But when the opposition protests, they are not able to take it,” Ms. Kanimozhi said.
Published – March 20, 2025 05:07 pm IST