New Delhi, February 3: The Lok Sabha saw heated protests on Monday, with opposition parties demanding an urgent discussion on the recent stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and a full list of those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
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The protests erupted as the House convened for the first time following the President’s address and the presentation of the 2025-26 budget. Congress MPs, led by Gaurav Gogoi and K.C. Venugopal, raised their voices in unison, demanding immediate action on the stampede that claimed the lives of at least 30 people. The opposition MPs stormed the well of the House, chanting slogans and calling for the suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the disaster.
In response, Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members they could raise their concerns during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address. However, the opposition insisted on a full discussion on the incident on January 29, when a massive crowd at the Maha Kumbh broke through barricades while vying for space to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya.
According to Vaibhav Krishna, DIG Mahakumbh, the stampede left 30 dead and 60 others injured. Speaker Birla urged the opposition to allow the Question Hour to proceed smoothly, emphasizing that such disruptions would not be productive. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the opposition’s actions, calling them unacceptable.
As protests continued from 11 a.m. to noon, Birla suggested that a resolution be passed to prevent disruptions during the Question Hour, noting that other issues could be raised after 12 noon (Zero Hour).
After the Question Hour concluded, opposition MPs from Congress, DMK, TMC, and SP briefly walked out before returning to the session.
In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members staged a walkout after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected their demands for an immediate discussion on the stampede. Nine notices under Rule 267 were submitted by opposition leaders, including Pramod Tiwari, Digvijaya Singh, and others, requesting the suspension of the day's business to address the tragedy.
However, Chairman Dhankhar, citing previous rulings on Rule 267 notices, did not approve the requests and proceeded with the scheduled Zero Hour. This led to protests from opposition MPs from Congress, SP, DMK, AAP, RJD, CPI, and CPM. They raised slogans demanding justice for the victims of the Maha Kumbh stampede. Following the rejection of their notices, the opposition MPs staged a walkout, while the House continued with Zero Hour proceedings.
