India's Parliament Disrupted By Protests Over Gandhi Ban

India’s parliament descended into chaos as opposition party members chanted slogans, carried placards, and threw paper at the speaker who oversees the proceedings of the lower house.

- Sravasti Dasgupta

Yesterday's session of the Lok Sabha, or lower house of parliament, was marred by protesting lawmakers. MPs of opposition parties led by the Congress Party were protesting against the Narendra Modi government after Rahul Gandhi the Gandhi family scion whose family members have served as the country's freedom fighters and prime ministers - was controversially disqualified from parliament.

Videos showed opposition members carrying placards, storming the well of the house, and tossing shreds of paper at Om Birla, the Lok Sabha speaker, as he attempted to get the lower house in order. Congress lawmakers TN Prathapan Hibi Eden, Jothi Mani S, and Ramya Haridas rushed to the well of the house, tore papers and tossed them at the speaker, reported The Indian Express. Some lawmakers were seen waving black cloths at Mr Birla.

The house was adjourned within seconds of the ruckus, but opposition lawmakers continued to protest after the speaker had left.

The action comes days after Gandhi, a former MP from Kerala state's Wayanad district, was disqualified from parliament after being convicted of defamation for insulting Mr Modi. Gandhi, 52, was sentenced in Gujarat - Mr Modi's home state - to two years in prison on 23 March over a speech in 2019 in which he referred to "thieves" as having the surname Modi.