'Big scam': Congress on electoral bonds

New Delhi: Protests broke out in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday over electoral bonds and privatisation of Public Sector Units (PSUs), leading to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi leading a walkout in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha being adourned till noon. The Congress, which called both issues "big scams", accused the government of "making corruption official". The protests in the Lok Sabha, which included a 15-minute period where MPs stormed the Well while chanting slogans, also featured a sharp exchange of words between Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress's leader in the House, and Speaker Om Birla.

The issue began with senior Congress leader Manish Tewari raising the issue of electoral bonds. He said that the government's decision to go ahead with the scheme despite the central bank's reservations "made government corruption official". However, on making a reference to the Prime Minister's Office, the Speaker cut his microphone and asked another member to raise the issue.