‘Democracy murdered in Maharashtra,’ says Rahul Gandhi in LS; Sonia leads protest march

Congress Party MPs hold a protest outside Parliament, against the "illegal and undemocratic capture of the Maharashtra government by the BJP". (Photo: Twitter | @INCIndia)


The Parliament on Monday witnessed massive opposition uproar over the issue of formation of government in Maharashtra.

Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have been adjourned till 2 pm following continued sloganeering by Opposition leaders over the shocking political development in Maharashtra.

Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi led a protest march in Parliament premises, wherein party members held banners which said, “Stop Murder of Democracy”.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) gave Suspension of Business Notice under rule 267 in Rajya Sabha over “undemocratic events in the state of Maharashtra for government formation”.

In Lok Sabha, Congress, IUML and TMC gave Adjournment Motion Notice over “sabotage of democracy in Maharashtra”.

The CPM gave Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha too over “steps to restore democracy in Maharashtra”.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, reacting in a sarcastic manner, said in the Lok Sabha that “he wanted to ask a question in the House but it doesn’t make any sense as democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra”.

Opposition leaders also raised slogans of “Samvidhan ki hatya bandh karo, bandh karo” (Stop murder of democracy) during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused the BJP of disregarding the Constitution in Maharashtra and repeating the “game” it played in Karnataka. The Congress had accused the BJP of poaching MLAs to form the government in Karnataka earlier this year. “Have we reached the stage of open kidnapping of the mandate?” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

At a time when deliberations between Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena had seemingly reached the final stage on Friday, the BJP, in a stunning move, formed the government in the state with Devendra Fadnavis being sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar as the new Deputy Chief Minister early on Saturday.