New Delhi – The first day of the Lok Sabha session after the inter-session break on Monday was marked by uproar and disruption, prompting Presiding Officer Jagdambika Pal to sharply criticize opposition parties for what he called “immature and irresponsible” conduct. Amid continuous protests, Pal highlighted the financial impact of stalling parliamentary proceedings. “It costs ₹1.5 crore per hour to run the House. ₹2.5 lakh is spent every single minute, and ₹9 crore is spent in one day,” he said. Pal accused the opposition of holding the House “hostage” to their demands and wasting taxpayers’ money.
The uproar was fueled by the opposition’s demand for a discussion on the ongoing crisis in West Asia, even as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a suo moto statement on the matter. Meanwhile, the government and the Chair were set to take up a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, which had already been approved. Pal reminded the opposition that the no-confidence motion against Speaker Birla was already on the House agenda. “But you don’t want the House to run. The country is watching. The government wants to run the House, but you don’t want to. This is irresponsible conduct, immature behaviour,” he said.
The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated adjournments on Monday. Initially, proceedings were paused until 12 noon, then 3 pm, and later for the rest of the day, as opposition MPs continued sloganeering against the government. When proceedings resumed at 3 pm, Pal urged opposition members to maintain decorum. He emphasized that their adjournment notice seeking a debate on the West Asia crisis could not take precedence over the scheduled motion against Speaker Birla.
Pal accused the opposition of working with a “political agenda” to obstruct the House from discussing the no-confidence motion. “Your irresponsible behaviour is wasting ₹9 crore in a single day. This is public money,” he said, stressing that the Speaker is the custodian of parliamentary proceedings and that orderly debate must be allowed. Despite the disruptions, Pal allowed the MP who tabled the motion against Speaker Birla to speak, reiterating the House’s readiness to take up the resolution.
Monday’s Lok Sabha session turned chaotic as opposition MPs demanded a debate on the West Asia crisis, clashing with the House’s scheduled no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla. Presiding Officer Jagdambika Pal warned that the disruptions were costing taxpayers ₹9 crore a day and criticized the opposition for indulging in “immature and irresponsible” political tactics. Despite repeated adjournments, the House remains poised to address the no-confidence motion while maintaining parliamentary order.