Parliament Winter Session: After 'deadlock' breakthrough, Opposition leaders walk out of Lok Sabha

Leading the INDIA bloc, the Congress spearheaded a protest earlier in the day. Notably, allies like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) abstained from participating.

The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on November 25, saw a walkout by opposition MPs on Tuesday (December 3), the first planned working day after days of disruption. Despite a prior agreement to ensure smooth functioning, the opposition and ruling parties clashed over unresolved issues.

On Monday, a breakthrough meeting had set the stage for debates on constitutional matters, scheduled for December 13-14 in the Lok Sabha and December 16-17 in the Rajya Sabha. However, tensions flared again as the opposition demanded discussions on critical issues such as the Adani indictment in the U.S., the Sambhal violence, and the ongoing Manipur crisis.

Leading the INDIA bloc, the Congress spearheaded a protest earlier in the day. Notably, allies like the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) abstained from participating. The TMC highlighted its focus on broader "people's issues" during the Winter Session, signaling a divergence within the opposition alliance. The party also criticized the Congress's stand on the Adani case, urging a balanced approach to address multiple concerns.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor described the protest as a "clear signal" to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), highlighting widespread opposition to its policies. Tharoor called the demonstration a "salvo" to precede active participation in parliamentary debates.

The government has reiterated its readiness to discuss any issue, but the persistent disagreements indicate a challenging path ahead for the session, which is set to conclude on December 20.