NEW DELHI: Almost the entire opposition in the Lok Sabha on Monday unitedly opposed the Centre’s step to impose unprecedented restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir.

As soon as the lower House met and Speaker Om Birla read out a statement requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to modernize Parliament with new technology on completion of 75 years of Independence in 2022, the opposition, led by the Congress, raised the Kashmir issue.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury urged: “Sir, you should at least give us our rights (to speak).”

The central government has imposed restrictions in Kashmir and confined former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti to their homes amid a major security build up.

The Speaker ignored the Congress plea following which members of opposition parties including the Congress, DMK, TMC, JKNC, RSP, AIMIM and SP were on their seat shouting “Dadagiri nahi chalegi”, “Tanasahi nahi chalegi”, “Prime Minister jawab do”, “We Want Justice” and “Stop Divide and Rule”.

Later, the agitating members of the Congress, DMK, SP and RSP massed near the Speaker’s podium.

But the TDP, BJD, BSP and YSR Congress members did not take part in the protest.

Amid the din, the Speaker started proceedings of the House and amendments made by the Rajya Sabha in the National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 and the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2019 were passed.

The government later moved the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 for its passage amid pandemonium.

The Speaker then requested the opposition members to return to their seats.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal urged the opposition members to go back to their seats and proposed that “our Defence Minister (Rajnath Singh) is ready to speak on any issue”.

But the opposition continued their protest.

IANS