'Murder of Democracy': Rahul Gandhi, Opposition Leaders March to Vijay Chowk

Opposition leaders marched to Vijay Chowk and staged a protest against the abrupt end of the Monsoon Session.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders from various parties on Thursday, 12 August, held a march from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, demanding a repeal of the Centre's contentious farm laws.

They were also protesting against other issues, such as the government's refusal to debate issues such as price hike and the Pegasus Project reports.

"Today, we had to come out here to speak to you (media) as we (Opposition) are not allowed to speak in the Parliament. This is nothing short of the murder of democracy of this country,"

Rahul Gandhi at Vijay Chowk

Gandhi further said that the Monsoon Session of Parliament has ended, but as far as 60 percent of the country was concerned, there had been no session at all.

The voice of 60 percent of this country has been crushed and humiliated, Gandhi added.

"We raised the issue of Pegasus, we asked the government to debate Pegasus. The government refuses to debate Pegasus. We raised the issue of farmers outside Parliament, because we cannot raise it inside Parliament. We raised the issue of price rise outside Parliament, because we could not raise it inside Parliament...," Gandhi said.

Addressing the press, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut concurred with Gandhi and said that there had practically been no session of Parliament, since the Opposition had not been allowed to raise issues.

"Yesterday's incident against women MPs was against democracy. It felt like we were standing at the Pakistan border: Raut said, claiming that "outsiders" had come dressed in the uniform of marshals to beat up the women.

Earlier during the day, leaders of Opposition parties had held a meet at the office of Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, in Parliament.

Ruckus in Rajya Sabha

Chaotic scenes had unfolded in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, as the Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die two days ahead of schedule.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar reacted sharply to the incident, saying, "In my 55 years of parliamentary career, I never saw the way the women MPs were attacked today (in Rajya Sabha). More than 40 men and women were brought into the House from outside. It is painful. It is an attack on democracy."

This incident came the same day that Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu broke down in the House and expressed 'deep anguish' over the ruckus created by MPs on Tuesday.

Following Wednesday's events, Opposition leaders from Congress, Shiv Sena, DMK, CPIM, RJD, SP, NCP (including Sharad Pawar), CPI, IUML, and LJD met Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday, to submit a memorandum and apprise him of the incidents that took place in Rajya Sabha, news agency ANI reported.