Bhopal, Dec 1: The five-day Winter Session of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha started with vociferous protests and a novel play by the Opposition members in and outside the House on Monday.

As the day’s business began, Congress legislators led by the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, Umang Singhar, braving the December cold, staged a symbolic protest that caught widespread media attention.

A group of Congress MLAs arrived holding posters highlighting the Coldrif cough syrup tragedy that killed over 25 children in Chhindwara and other adjoining districts a few months back.

The children, mostly under five years of age, suffered acute kidney failure and severe brain damage after consuming the contaminated syrup. Laboratory tests confirmed that the Coldrif syrup contained dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG), with one batch showing a concentration of nearly 48.6 per cent, significantly above the internationally accepted safe limit of 0.1 per cent.

The Opposition MLAs’ protest over the tragedy took a novel form as they performed a scripted play to highlight the Coldrif cough syrup tragedy. One woman Congress MLA played the role of demoness ‘Surpanakha’ and Singhar had a dialogue with her.

While this dramatic protest was going on, a group of Congress MLAs was standing in a circle with posters carrying slogans blaming the ruling BJP for the horrific incident.

“Corruption has peaked under the BJP government and the list of scams is growing. More than 25 innocent children have died due to the contaminated Coldrif cough syrup in Chhindwara,” Singhar told media persons.

He accused the BJP government of trying to suppress the Opposition’s voice and divert attention from public issues by curtailing the session’s length.

The five-day Vidhan Sabha session will have four sittings for discussion on key issues and at least three key Bills (Amendment) will be presented in the House.

For the ongoing Winter session, the Assembly Secretariat has received a total of 1,497 questions from the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the state.

It has also received 194 notices for calling-attention motions, six adjournment motions, 14 private members’ resolutions, 52 zero-hour submissions, two notices under Rule 139 and 15 petitions.

Mumbai: Mumbai witnessed a major security scare on Monday morning after Billabong High School in Santacruz received an email threatening a bomb explosion on the campus. The alarming message led an immediate and large-scale response from city authorities, placing the area on high alert.

According to reports, the school administration promptly informed the Mumbai Police after receiving the threat. Within minutes, teams from the police, the fire brigade, and the bomb detection and disposal squad rushed to the spot. The school premises were swiftly evacuated, ensuring that students, teachers and staff were moved to safety without panic.

Security forces then launched a thorough search of the building and surrounding areas. After an extensive sweep, officials confirmed that no explosive device had been found so far. Despite the relief, the area continues to remain under strict security checks as a precaution.

To ensure complete safety, authorities also evacuated adjacent structures. These included the Aajivasan Studio, owned by renowned singer Suresh Wadkar, and a wedding hall located within the same complex. Both premises, which often see considerable footfall, were emptied and cordoned off while bomb squads scanned every corner for potential threats. The entire locality has since been put under a security blanket, with multiple teams conducting checks and inspecting public access points.

Meanwhile, an email threatening to bomb the school administration of Singapore International School in Mira Road was received today morning at 9:30 am. The school administration immediately informed the police.

Kashimira Police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad arrived at the scene. The entire school has been evacuated and a large-scale search operation is underway.

The incidents have renewed concerns about the increasing frequency of hoax and threat emails targeting educational institutions. It comes barely weeks after a similar panic gripped Delhi on November 20, when at least three major schools, Sanskriti School and the British School in Chanakyapuri, and Modern School in Barakhamba, received bomb threat emails.

In those cases as well, police teams immediately conducted extensive inspections, eventually declaring that no suspicious objects had been found. Investigations into the origins of those emails are still underway.

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Winter Session of Lok Sabha plunged into turmoil yet again on Monday as vociferous protests by opposition members over alleged “vote chori” in recent elections and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states and union territories forced a second adjournment of the day till 2 p.m.

The House had reconvened at noon after a brief and stormy sitting from 11 a.m. Within minutes, opposition MPs rushed into the Well, raising thunderous slogans of ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor!’ and waving placards demanding an immediate discussion on what they called a “conspiracy to delete genuine voters” through the SIR exercise.

Deputy Speaker Sandhya Rai, presiding over the proceedings, repeatedly urged the members to return to their seats. She assured the House that none of the more than 20 adjournment motion notices submitted by the opposition had been rejected by the Speaker and that the issues could be taken up if the House was allowed to function.

Her appeals, however, went unheeded amid the unrelenting din.

Before the protests drowned out all business, the Lok Sabha managed to complete some routine but significant work.

Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Pankaj Chaudhary and Kirti Vardhan Singh laid papers on behalf of their respective ministries.

The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers presented two key reports — one examining the steep rise in medicine prices and its impact on common citizens, and another on achieving self-reliance in fertiliser production.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan moved a motion to elect two Lok Sabha members to the Council of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, while extensions were granted to the select committees examining the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Supplementary Demands for Grants (First Batch) for 2025-26 and introduced three bills, including the Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025, which immediately drew sharp protests from Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy, who termed it an “extra tax burden on the aam aadmi”.

As the sloganeering only grew louder, an exasperated Deputy Speaker warned that she would be compelled to adjourn the House.

She asked them, “Why do you not want to run the zero hour?”

When calm did not return, she finally rose and announced adjournment till 2 p.m.

With both sides digging in — the opposition adamant on not letting the House run without a debate on electoral malpractice and the treasury benches determined to push ahead with legislative business — the Winter Session 2025 appears set for prolonged disruption.