Parliament, often described as the “temple of democracy”, witnessed a spectacle this week that should deeply shame every believer in constitutional politics. For four consecutive days, the Congress-led Opposition chose disruption over discussion, theatrics over substance, and brinkmanship over parliamentary responsibility. What began as a rigid and unreasonable demand soon degenerated into chaos that dragged the dignity of the House to the level of a street brawl.
The trigger was the Congress’s insistence on reading portions of an unpublished book purportedly penned by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane. Parliamentary rules are unambiguous: unpublished material, not placed on record and not authenticated, cannot be cited or read in the House. Yet, the Opposition dug in its heels, holding the entire legislature to ransom, refusing to allow normal business unless its demand was met. It was not a protest rooted in public interest but an act of political obstinacy.
As repeated adjournments paralysed proceedings, the Opposition’s conduct became increasingly provocative. BJP members, pushed to the wall, responded by bringing into the House entire volumes—published, documented, and historically referenced—detailing controversial episodes involving the Gandhi dynasty, including their conduct during the disastrous 1962 war. Books long debated, some banned and later exposed, were brandished not to glorify the moment, but to expose the hypocrisy of an Opposition that selectively invokes “decorum” only when it suits its narrative.
What followed was predictable yet disturbing. Instead of allowing reasoned debate, Congress members reduced parliamentary discourse to shouting matches, slogan-throwing, and physical obstruction. The House, meant for informed disagreement and democratic persuasion, was transformed into a theatre of anarchy. Rules were violated with impunity. The Chair was defied. Warnings were ignored.
The lowest point came when Congress MPs physically blocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s entry into the Lok Sabha to deliver his address following the Presidential speech. This was not merely discourteous—it was unprecedented. Never before in India’s parliamentary history has a Prime Minister been prevented from entering the House by elected members. The Speaker, Om Birla, was compelled to caution the Prime Minister against entering amid the chaos. That moment alone should haunt the Congress leadership for years to come.
The responsibility for this historic blunder lies squarely with the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. His conduct—marked by belligerence, entitlement, and political immaturity—has steadily reduced the Congress from a national party to a perpetual protest group. Far from reviving the party, he is accelerating its decline. In the process, he is also further damaging the already bruised legacy of his family, which ruled India for nearly six decades and now stands accused, rightly or wrongly, of institutional failures, strategic blunders, and dynastic arrogance.
As someone who began his political journey in the Congress, through the NSUI, this degeneration is personally painful. Many once believed Priyanka Gandhi might offer a course correction—a more disciplined, dignified leadership reminiscent, at least in appearance, of Indira Gandhi. Those illusions were shattered when she brazenly justified the disgraceful act of women MPs attempting to block the Prime Minister’s path. Her flippant response to mediapersons was not merely rude; it reflected a dangerous contempt for parliamentary norms.
Can such anarchic behaviour be tolerated from elected representatives? Can members sworn to uphold the Constitution behave like vigilantes inside the House? And can a dynastic leadership that aspires to govern India justify such conduct without any remorse or self-reflection?
The Congress’s obstruction has already cost the nation four crucial days of the Budget Session—time meant for debating inflation, growth, employment, and national security. If there is any sense of responsibility left, the party must show restraint, respect the Chair, and allow Parliament to function with dignity for the remainder of the session.
India deserves robust debate, not manufactured chaos. Democracy thrives on disagreement, not disruption. And Parliament is not a battleground for bruised egos—it is a sacred institution entrusted with the will of 1.4 billion people. The Congress would do well to remember that before it further erodes whatever credibility it has left.
