The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday after repeated disruptions, with proceedings set to resume on February 10. The adjournment followed a tense exchange between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Treasury benches after he again sought to raise issues on the floor of the House before the start of the Budget discussion.
The House reconvened at 2 pm after two earlier adjournments since the session began at 11 am. However, Opposition members continued to press for a discussion on the India–US interim trade framework, leading to continued disorder and eventual adjournment.
Rahul Gandhi told the Chair that he had received a personal assurance that he would be allowed to raise certain points before the Budget debate commenced. He accused the presiding officer of stepping back from that commitment.
He said the Speaker had “personally assured” him that he would be permitted to speak ahead of the Budget discussion but was now “going back on that promise”.
Addressing MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, Gandhi asked whether he would be allowed to present his points or not.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju rejected Gandhi’s assertion, stating that no such assurance had been given during discussions between Speaker Om Birla and Congress MP K C Venugopal, which he said he had also attended.
Rijiju told the House that the Speaker had only said that the House should function smoothly if all parties cooperated. He said that during the meeting, Congress had indicated its wish for the Leader of Opposition to speak and the government had asked what issue he intended to raise. He added that if allegations were made against the Speaker, the Chair would also respond.
Calling Gandhi’s claim “completely incorrect”, Rijiju said the Speaker had made no such commitment.
Presiding officer Sandhya Ray said she had not received any formal notice regarding the issues Gandhi intended to raise. She emphasised that matters cannot be discussed in the House without following due procedure.
Ray said she had not received any notification specifying the issue the Leader of Opposition wanted to raise and urged members to proceed with the Budget debate instead. She reiterated that no matter can be taken up without proper notice.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also intervened, saying it has been a longstanding parliamentary practice to allow the Leader of Opposition an opportunity to speak. However, his remarks were cut short amid interruptions from the Treasury benches.
Rijiju’s response triggered loud protests from Opposition MPs, who raised slogans and objected to the minister’s comments, further disrupting proceedings.
The day’s tensions followed a letter by women Members of Parliament from the Congress to Speaker Om Birla, accusing the ruling party of pressuring him to make “false, baseless and defamatory” statements against them.
The controversy stems from remarks made by the Speaker last week, when he said he had advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the House after receiving information that some Congress MPs might approach the Prime Minister’s seat and trigger an “unprecedented incident”.
In their letter, the Congress MPs said their protests had been peaceful and within parliamentary norms but alleged they were being unfairly targeted. They also claimed that when they met the Speaker seeking action against a BJP MP, he initially acknowledged a “serious error” but later indicated he was awaiting the government’s response, suggesting constraints on his independence.
The MPs further alleged that the following day, the Speaker issued a statement containing “serious allegations” against them, reportedly under pressure to justify the Prime Minister’s absence from the House.
Reaffirming their commitment to democratic values, the Congress women MPs said they stand for peace, constitutional principles and dignity. They added that they would not be silenced by intimidation and stressed the need for transparency to preserve the credibility of the Lok Sabha and the dignity of the Speaker’s office.
