Opposition creates ruckus in LS, prevents PM Narendra Modi from introducing new ministers

New Delhi: The Monsoon session of the Lok Sabha began on a stormy note on Monday with the Opposition creating a ruckus and preventing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from introducing his newly-inducted Union ministers to the House.

As the disruptions continued despite Speaker Om Birla's repeated pleas to maintain decorum, the House was adjourned after nearly 40 minutes till 2 pm.

The prime minister said he was expecting members of the House to show enthusiasm by thumping their desks as a large number of those from the Dalits, Scheduled Tribes and OBC communities as well as sons of farmers and those from economically backward and rural backgrounds have become ministers in the recent rejig.

"However, probably, some people did not like that people of such background have become ministers and that is why they are now conducting themselves with such behaviour," the prime minister said.

Modi appealed to the Speaker to consider introduction of the ministers with the submission of their list to the House.

Responding to the prime minister's appeal, the Speaker announced that the House has accepted the introduction of the ministers.

Criticising the Opposition for not allowing the prime minister to introduce introduce the new ministers, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said such a thing was happening for the first time in his 24 years of parliamentary career.

"The strength of Parliament is in maintaining healthy traditions. Both Opposition and Treasury should maintain healthy traditions. Even if one or 50 new ministers are inducted, the whole House listens to their introduction by the prime minister with decorum... This is sad, unfortunate and an unhealthy approach," Singh, who is also the Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha, said.

Earlier, four newly elected members --- Maddila Gurumoorthy (YSR Congress), Mangal Suresh Angadi (BJP), M P Abdussamad Samadani (IUML), Vijayakumar (Congress) --- took oath as the House convened after a gap of nearly four months.

Following this, the prime minister stood up to introduce the newly inducted ministers who had taken oath on July 7 following a major rejig in the council of ministers.

As soon Modi stood up, Opposition MPs started shouted slogans and disrupted the proceedings.

The speaker appealed to the Opposition members to not disrupt the proceedings as it is the tradition of the House for the prime minister to introduce new ministers.

"You have been in power too. You should not lower the dignity of the House. You are breaking a good tradition. This is the largest democracy and you are setting a bad precedent. I appeal you to maintain the dignity of the House," Birla told the Opposition members.

However, they did not relent. The House also paid tributes to 40 former members who passed away in recent months.