The eighth day of Parliament’s Budget Session witnessed continued disruption in the Lok Sabha as opposition members created an uproar soon after proceedings began. Amid loud sloganeering and members entering the well of the House, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed strong displeasure and adjourned the House till 12 noon.
The deadlock between the government and the opposition revolves around the suspension of eight MPs and allegations that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was prevented from fully presenting his remarks. Opposition parties have demanded a discussion on these issues, while the ruling side maintains that parliamentary rules were followed.
Lok Sabha Disrupted for Four Consecutive Days
For the past four days, the Lok Sabha has remained largely non-functional due to repeated disruptions. Despite repeated appeals from the Chair to maintain decorum, opposition members continued their protests, forcing multiple adjournments. Speaker Om Birla reminded members that maintaining the dignity of Parliament is a collective responsibility.
In contrast, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha continued smoothly. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Upper House. During his speech, PM Modi launched a sharp attack on the Congress, stating that a party which had weakened constitutional institutions in the past had no moral right to lecture others on the Constitution.
PM’s Lok Sabha Address Deferred
President Droupadi Murmu’s Address was followed by a scheduled debate of 18 hours in the Lok Sabha and 16 hours in the Rajya Sabha. As per parliamentary convention, the Prime Minister was to reply in both Houses at the conclusion of the discussion. However, due to continuous disruptions, PM Modi’s address in the Lok Sabha had to be postponed.
Sources indicate that if the stalemate continues, the government may attempt to pass the Motion of Thanks without the Prime Minister’s reply in the Lok Sabha, potentially escalating political tensions further.
Suspension Sparks Major Row
The controversy began on February 2 when Rahul Gandhi, while participating in the debate, cited excerpts from a magazine referring to a book allegedly authored by former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. This drew strong objections from Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who termed the reference inappropriate. The Speaker ruled the citation as against parliamentary rules and ordered it expunged.
Subsequently, disruptions intensified, leading to the suspension of eight MPs for the remainder of the session—seven from the Congress and one from the CPI(M). The opposition has termed the action undemocratic, while the government insists it was necessary to uphold parliamentary discipline.
Debate Continues in Rajya Sabha
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha continued its discussion on the Motion of Thanks, with interventions from BJP President JP Nadda, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and Tamil Nadu MP Kamal Haasan.
Overall, the eighth day of the Budget Session ended amid continued confrontation and disruption, raising concerns over the productivity of the remaining days of Parliament.
