Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unable to address the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after repeated disruptions and protests by Opposition members forced multiple adjournments, culminating in the House being suspended for the day amid scenes of chaos and sloganeering.
The disruption unfolded minutes before the Prime Minister was expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, a key parliamentary event that traditionally concludes the debate on the government’s policy direction.
Repeated Adjournments From the Outset
Proceedings in the Lok Sabha began at 11 am but were halted within ten minutes after Opposition members raised slogans and entered the Well of the House. The Speaker adjourned the House until noon, but order could not be restored when it reconvened. A second adjournment followed shortly thereafter as protests intensified.
After a third adjournment, proceedings were scheduled to resume at 5 pm, when Prime Minister Modi was expected to speak. However, events took a dramatic turn moments before his anticipated address.
Women MPs Move Towards PM’s Seat
When the House reconvened at 5 pm, BJP member Sandhya Rai, who was presiding, invited BJP leader P.P. Chaudhary to begin the government’s reply to the Motion of Thanks. Prime Minister Modi was not present in the chamber at that moment.
As Chaudhary started speaking, Opposition members once again entered the Well of the House. A group of women Opposition MPs then moved towards the Prime Minister’s seat carrying banners, raising slogans and objections over multiple issues, including the recently announced India–US trade deal and references to former Army chief General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished book.
The women MPs proceeded to the Treasury benches, effectively gheraoing the Prime Minister’s seat in a rare and confrontational protest inside the House.
With order breaking down and Opposition members refusing to return to their seats, the presiding officer adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day.
Modi Likely to Speak in Rajya Sabha
With Wednesday’s proceedings cut short, there was no immediate clarity on when Prime Minister Modi would address the Lok Sabha. Parliamentary sources indicated that he is now likely to speak in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks concluded earlier without disruptions.
The Lok Sabha agenda for Thursday includes discussion on the Union Budget, though Opposition protests are expected to continue.
Suspension of Congress MPs Adds Fuel
The standoff in the Lok Sabha has intensified since Monday, following the suspension of eight Congress MPs for the remainder of the Budget Session due to unruly conduct. The suspensions have further escalated tensions between the government and the Opposition, with both sides trading sharp accusations.
The current round of protests traces back to demands by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to include references to General Naravane’s unpublished book during the debate. Senior ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, objected to the demand, arguing that unpublished material could not be cited on the floor of the House.
Political Sparring Outside Parliament
Outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Modi of avoiding debate. In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, “As I said, PM Modi won’t come to Parliament because he is scared and doesn’t want to face the truth.”
Speaking to reporters, Gandhi said he was prepared to personally hand over General Naravane’s book to the Prime Minister. “I don’t think the PM will have the guts to come to the Lok Sabha today because if he comes, I’m going to give him this book. He will know what his truth is, and the country will also know,” he told ANI.
The government strongly rejected these claims. Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticised the Opposition’s conduct, calling the scenes in the Lok Sabha unprecedented.
“This is unfortunate. This is the first time such ruckus has been created during the President’s Address debate. They are behaving like children. Do they think this is the Nehru family’s kingdom or the Congress party’s office?” Singh said.
A House in Deadlock
With repeated adjournments, suspended MPs, and sharp political rhetoric, the Lok Sabha has remained largely paralysed this week. The government maintains that it is ready for debate, while the Opposition insists its concerns are being stifled.
Whether Prime Minister Modi will be able to address the Lok Sabha in the coming days now depends on whether both sides can break the impasse that has brought proceedings to a standstill.
