Is Parliament Silencing Dissent? Derek O'Brien Raises Alarm Over Disallowed Questions

Concerns Over Censorship in Parliament

New Delhi: On Tuesday, Derek O'Brien, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), claimed that approximately 200 of his questions posed in Parliament since 2021 have been rejected. These inquiries cover critical topics such as terrorist incidents, job losses in the IT sector, and hate crimes.

O'Brien's remarks followed similar complaints from senior Congress members Manish Tewari and Vivek Tankha, who also reported that their questions were frequently dismissed.

In a post on X, O'Brien characterized this situation as a form of censorship both within and outside the parliamentary framework.

CENSORSHIP! Inside and Outside Parliament

From March to July, Union Govt sent a blocking order to social media firms every minute

In Parliament, over 200 questions asked by me disallowed; topics ranging from terrorist attacks, job losses in IT sector, to hate crimes pic.twitter.com/s99WbgbArX

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 18, 2026

The TMC leader also provided a screenshot from his member portal on the Digital Sansad website, indicating that 207 of his questions fell under the 'disallowed' category.

He alleged that between March and July, the Union Government issued blocking orders to social media platforms every minute.

O'Brien noted that the rejected questions included inquiries directed at the Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry regarding the 'Disposal Rate in Central and State Information Commissions.'

This particular question was dismissed under Rule 47(2)(i), which states that questions must be specific and focused on a single issue.

Additionally, questions posed to the Communications Ministry about 'SIM Binding directions' and to the Home Affairs Ministry concerning the 2025 Delhi Red Fort blast were both rejected under Rule 47(2)(xxii), which prohibits inquiries into matters deemed secret.

Another question regarding the 'Downgrading of NHRC Status' was also disallowed under Rules 47(2)(xviii) and 47(2)(xxii), with the justification that it should not address issues controlled by entities not primarily accountable to the Government of India and should not seek information on confidential matters.

A question about 'Global Democracy Rankings' directed to the Home Affairs Ministry was rejected under Rules 47(2)(iv) and 47(2)(xii), with comments indicating it should not include arguments, inferences, or defamatory statements and should not raise overly broad policy questions.

On Monday, Congress MP Manish Tewari from Chandigarh claimed that over 120 of his questions submitted between September 2020 and August 2025 were also disallowed, covering issues like Chinese border incursions, Operation Sindoor, terrorism from Pakistan, crude oil imports from Russia, farmer protests, and constituency development.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha mentioned that he had submitted around 90 questions in the current session but received answers to fewer than 10.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) also reported that three sets of questions from DMK Lok Sabha member V S Matheswaran regarding youth protests were disallowed during the Monsoon Session.

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das stated that these questions sought information on various issues, including the refund of NEET-UG 2026 application fees, public distrust in the government, and the treatment of individuals exercising their right to peaceful protest.

Matheswaran later confirmed that his questions were indeed disallowed, as he received this information through the Lok Sabha members' portal.