Nadda Criticises Opposition Walkout During Jaishankar’s Statement in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Union Minister J. P. Nadda on Monday strongly criticised opposition parties for staging a walkout in the Rajya Sabha while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was delivering a statement on the situation in West Asia.

The disruption occurred shortly after the House completed obituary references and the laying of official papers, following which Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan invited Jaishankar to address members on the regional developments.

Before the minister could begin, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge sought permission from the Chair to speak. After being allowed, Kharge highlighted concerns over the escalation of the West Asia conflict and its possible implications for India’s economic stability, energy supplies and the safety of Indian citizens living and working in the region.

He urged the government to allow a short-duration discussion in the House on the evolving geopolitical situation and the potential risks to the country’s energy security.

The Chairman informed Kharge that the matter would be taken up later and again requested Jaishankar to proceed with his statement. As the minister began speaking, several opposition members stood up and insisted that Kharge be permitted to finish his remarks and pressed for an immediate discussion on the issue.

Amid the continued protests, members from the Congress and other opposition parties eventually walked out of the House while Jaishankar was presenting his statement.

Reacting after the address, Leader of the House J. P. Nadda criticised the opposition’s conduct, calling it irresponsible and accusing them of deliberately disrupting parliamentary proceedings.

He said the repeated walkouts during ministerial statements and debates reflected a lack of seriousness towards discussions on issues concerning the country. According to Nadda, the opposition’s actions were aimed at creating disorder rather than contributing to meaningful debate in the House.