Congress members protest over Maharashtra issue, Rahul Gandhi says democracy murdered

The Maharashtra government formation issue rocked Lok Sabha on Monday, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying democracy has been "murdered" in the state while his party members stormed the well carrying placards leading to adjournment of House proceedings.

Rahul Gandhi declined to ask a question he was scheduled to at the start of the Question Hour at 11 am.

"There is no point in my asking the question as democracy has been murdered in Maharashtra," he said amid a din.

As members of the Congress raised slogans and carried placards, what invited Speaker Om Birla's ire was a big banner that two MPs held across the Well.

The black banner sported the slogan "stop murder of democracy" while placards had messages like "save Constitution" and "save democracy".

After his warnings went unheeded, the Speaker ordered the removal of two Congress members Hibi Eden and T N Prathapan- who were holding the banner, by marshals.

However, the two MPS were joined by other Congress members in resisting their eviction from the House and were seen jostling with marshals, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House till noon.

When the House met at 12 pm, the chair again adjourned it to 2 pm.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that women parliamentarians were "manhandled" in the Lok Sabha when they were protesting in the Well of the House over the Maharashtra government formation.

Congress members jostled with the marshals in the Lok Sabha when they stormed the Well of the House carrying placards, leading to adjournment of Parliament proceedings.

"Security personnel manhandled our women parliamentarians. We have never experienced this inside Parliament. We will be waiting to see what action is been taken against responsible people," Chowdhury told reporters.

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi too staged a protest along with other Congress leaders in the Parliament premises over Maharashtra issue.

The Centre on Monday asked the Supreme Court for two to three days to file a reply to the plea against the governor's decision to invite Devendra Fadnavis to become chief minister.

After Fadnavis returned as the chief minister on Saturday, the Shiv Sena had claimed that the Sena-NCP-Congress combine has a support of 165 MLAs and can comfortably prove its majority in the Assembly.

The BJP has also claimed that Fadnavis had the support of 170 MLAs. The majority mark in a House of 288 is 145.