Now Reading: Kharge, Rijiju clash over Rule 240 as Rajya Sabha stalls
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Kharge, Rijiju clash over Rule 240 as Rajya Sabha stalls
Rajya Sabha approved the Appropriation Bill, 2026, allowing withdrawal of about Rs 54,067 crore to cover excess expenditure for the year ended March 31, 2023. The House then faced multiple adjournments as…
The Story in Brief
Rajya Sabha approved the Appropriation Bill, 2026, allowing withdrawal of about Rs 54,067 crore to cover excess expenditure for the year ended March 31, 2023. The House then faced multiple adjournments as Opposition members sought Home Minister Amit Shah’s presence and a statement on alleged police excess against students, according to The Times of India.
The dispute centred on Rule 240, which allows the Chair to stop irrelevant or repetitive speeches. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Mallikarjun Kharge had repeated the same demand for several days. Kharge replied that the rule gives the Chair discretion and does not prevent members from pursuing unresolved demands. He said it was his right to decide what, when and how to speak. Times Now News reports that Parliament had used about 30% of its allotted hours by August 5.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative is that one side alone is paralysing Parliament. The record points to both repeated Opposition protests and treasury bench objections when Kharge was called to speak. Rule 240 should prevent duplication, not erase a legitimate request, while protests cannot become a substitute for debate. The practical test is simple: will the Chair secure a clear ministerial response and restore enough sitting time for pending speeches?
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
