Andalusia’s regional parliament in southern Spain recently went into a frenzy after being interrupted by a rodent. Video footage showed lawmakers shrieking and jumping out of their seats at its sudden appearance.

Regional Speaker Marta Bosquet was speaking at the podium when she noticed the rodent and gasped. As she covered her mouth in shock, others were left spooked, looking around to see where the rat went.

According to Express UK, the animal caught legislators off-guard just as they were about to cast their votes on an important matter for the Andalusia region. Elected members were about to vote on whether to anoint Susana Diaz, the former regional president, as a senator for the region.

Witness told the local media that the rat scurrying under the chairs and tables “was of considerable size”.

However, after the brief interruption, the rodent left the chamber, and the session continued. Diaz was officially appointed senator for the region.

The six MPs – Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, Arpita Ghosh, Nadimul Haque, Shantanu Sen, and Abir Ranjan Biswas also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at one of the entrances to the House.

In an ANI video, The TMC MPs can be heard shouting “Narendra Modi Jawab do” (Narendra Modi give us answers), and  “Jawab tumko dena hoga” (You would have to answer, question the prime  Minister on the rising of petrol, diesel, and LPG.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before the session began, asked the Opposition to ask difficult questions but also allow his government to answer them. “I would like to urge all the MPs and all the parties to ask the most difficult and sharpest questions in the Houses but should also allow the government to respond, in a disciplined environment. This will boost the democracy, strengthen people’s trust and improve the pace of development,” he said.

Earlier this month, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla said he believed the monsoon session in the parliament would be held and all preparations had been made for it.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Om Birla said, “Secretariat employees have been vaccinated and 445 members have got themselves inoculated separately. The remaining members and employees will soon be vaccinated. We are constantly trying to increase the productivity of parliament.”

“Even in the last session, we tried to do COVID tests of members. We also insisted that the members get vaccinated. Thankfully the COVID infections are reducing. But, we need to take precautions,” said the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Asked whether the Monsoon Session would be held or not, he had said the ministerial subcommittee will take the final call for the monsoon session.

“The ministerial subcommittee takes the decision of the monsoon session. But I believe the monsoon session will be held. All the preparations have been taken in Lok Sabha for the purpose, emphasized Birla.

The Lok Sabha speaker stressed the need for smooth functioning of the House without disruption and sloganeering.

The nationalist Sweden Democrats had seized the chance to call the vote last week after the formerly communist Left Party withdrew its support for centre-left government over a plan to ease rent controls for new-build apartments.

Lofven’s shaky minority coalition with the Green Party has relied on support in parliament from two small centre-right parties and the Left-Party since a tight election in 2018. With parliament deadlocked, it is not clear to whom the speaker could turn to form a new administration, while opinion polls suggest the centre-left and centre-right blocs are evenly balanced, meaning a snap election might not bring clarity.

A new government – or a caretaker regime – would only sit until a general election scheduled for September next year. It is the first time a Swedish prime minister has ever been ousted by a no-confidence motion put forward by the opposition.