A tussle between the main opposition Nepali Congress and the agitating Tarai parties over the order of their address in Parliament led to the disruption of House for the fourth consecutive sitting on Tuesday.

Eight Madhes-based parties, which have been protesting both on the streets and in Parliament to press their demands, resorted to sloganeering after the Speaker allowed the largest party to address first. The fringe parties disrupted the business demanding that the Speaker let their representative speak before anybody else. As per the parliamentary practice, the main opposition gets the first priority to express its views.

No sooner had Speaker Onsari Gharti allowed NC lawmaker Farmullaha Mansur to speak, members from the regional parties rushed to the well chanting slogans against the government. They had argued that their subject of address was more important than the NC’s.

Gharti postponed the meeting until Sunday after her frequent calls to the protesters to take their seats were ignored. She had promised them time to speak in their turn.

Parliament has become defunct since November 9 due to the protests. The meeting on November 26 was obstructed by the NC after Speaker Gharti, following consultation with the chief whips of the parties, had allowed the Madhesi parties to speak first. The NC had then charged that the Speaker flouted the parliamentary norms by allowing fringe parties to address before the main opposition.

Madhesi leaders warned of House disruption if the parties did not agree to address their demands. “Our protests from streets and Parliament will continue,” said Sarvendra Nath Shukla, general secretary of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party demanded “expulsion” of Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae claiming that he had violated diplomatic norms by interfering in Nepal’s internal affairs. Chanting slogans against India and Rae, lawmakers from the party demanded action against him. This is the first time since India imposed an embargo on Nepal more than two months ago that lawmakers demanded the Indian ambassador be declared persona non grata.