Uproar in Lok Sabha after Rahul seeks to quote from ex-Army chief Naravane’s memoir

Both Houses of Parliament witnessed dramatic scenes on Monday amid disruptions over highly charged interventions by opposition and treasury benches.

In the Lok Sabha , the House descended into chaos when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from what he described as an unpublished memoir of former Army chief Gen (retd) M M Naravane during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Gandhi sought to respond to remarks by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya , who questioned Congress’s nationalism.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objected immediately, stressing that quoting from unauthorised or unpublished material violates Lok Sabha rules and parliamentary convention. Speaker Om Birla intervened repeatedly, noting that references to unpublished books or unrelated media articles cannot be cited in the House. Gandhi insisted the material was authenticated, but eventually clarified he was citing a magazine article to substantiate his views. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju warned that ignoring the Speaker’s ruling could set a wrong precedent, while Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav supported Gandhi’s request to speak. The House remained in disorder for nearly 50 minutes before the Speaker adjourned proceedings till 3 pm.

Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha , BJP-nominated MP C Sadanandan Master created a stir during his maiden speech by placing his artificial limbs on the table , citing a brutal attack he suffered 31 years ago in Kerala , which he blamed on CPI-M workers. Seated due to his disability, Master said he wanted to show “before the nation and people what democracy is,” criticizing CPI-M for their past political violence.

The gesture sparked an immediate point of order from CPI-M leader John Brittas , who objected to the display. Master countered sharply, accusing Brittas of intolerance and questioning the party’s commitment to democracy. The Chairman CP Radhakrishnan ordered the prosthetic limbs removed from the table. Master concluded his speech expressing regret that he could not stand due to the attack he suffered decades ago. Later, Leader of the House JP Nadda urged that undesirable remarks by Brittas be expunged from the records.

These incidents underscored a day of intense tension in both Houses, highlighting rules of parliamentary conduct, the limits of debate, and deeply personal interventions by MPs.