‘Request you to examine yourself': Chair Jagdambika Pal adjourns House until Monday amid Oppn sloganeering

Indian Express

25-07-2025

Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day within a few minutes of reconvening at 2 pm Friday, despite Chair Jagdambika Pal's repeated appeals, which were drowned by sloganeering and interruptions from protesting opposition MPs.
Seeking to remind Opposition members that repeated adjournments of the House were 'not an achievement' but a loss for everyone involved, especially the people of India, Pal appealed to them to take their places, referring to the scheduled proceedings related to 200 Private Members Bills to no avail.
'I request you to examine yourself: whose favour is this chaos in?… The people will not certainly benefit from it. The people who sent you to this House to discuss and find solutions to the difficulties they face,' said Pal. 'This day is for you…200 Private Member Bills… Which are as important as any Bill the government itself brings, are scheduled to be tabled… They are your Bills,' he added.
This was followed by Pal's nod for the taking up of The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, for further consideration, and passing in Lok Sabha by Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Responding to the interruptions during the process, Meghwal asked if the Opposition was against these communities in the state since it was refusing to allow the discussion to take place.
Addressing the protesting MPs again, Pal sought to underscore that there appeared to be no improvement in the state of affairs in the House, despite Speaker Om Birla's all-party meeting during the adjournment period.
Asking them to seek the opinion of their constituents on whether their current conduct was why they had been elected, Pal said, '…ask them whether they want to see you indulge in hungama or expect you to discuss the sorrows and problems of the people.'
'What is this deadlock triggered by? You want the government to answer your questions, the government is ready to,' he said, pointing to enthusiastic approval from Meghwal.
With no seeming avenue of a debate on the Bill in sight amid the din, Pal adjourned Lok Sabha proceedings until 11 am Monday, July 28.
Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. Over the last 15 years, he has covered bureaucracy & politics, crime, traffic & intelligence, the Election Commission of India & Urban Development among other beats. He is an English (Literature) graduate from Zakir Husain Delhi College, DU & specialised in Print at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. He tweets @jatinpaul ... Read More