The Lower House remained paralysed as protests over Rahul Gandhi’s speech stalled proceedings, while the government shifted focus to the Rajya Sabha.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, February 5, 2026 — The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address without Prime Minister Narendra Modi replying to the debate, as repeated disruptions and opposition protests continued to paralyse proceedings in the Lower House.
According to parliamentary sources, Prime Minister Modi is expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha later today, where the debate concluded without disruption. The government aims to pass the Motion of Thanks in both Houses on the same day, even if normal functioning in the Lok Sabha does not resume.
The Lower House has witnessed near-continuous adjournments since Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi referred to an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General Manoj Naravane, prompting strong objections from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah. Opposition protests escalated following the Chair’s decision to deny Gandhi the opportunity to speak further, leading to repeated sloganeering and adjournments.
Speaker Passes Motion Amid Chaos
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla passed the Motion of Thanks amid continuing disruptions, underlining the depth of the parliamentary standoff during the ongoing Budget Session.
In the Rajya Sabha, BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda accused the Opposition of deliberately stalling proceedings, claiming Prime Minister Modi was prepared to address the Lok Sabha but was prevented from doing so due to sustained protests.
“You did not allow the House to function and then accuse the government of undermining democracy,” Nadda said, rejecting Opposition claims that democratic norms were being violated.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also urged MPs to follow parliamentary rules and traditions, stressing that members across parties were eager to hear the Prime Minister’s speech in the Upper House.
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War of Words Continues
The standoff spilled into the Rajya Sabha, where Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the denial of speaking time to Rahul Gandhi, triggering sharp rebuttals from Nadda, who insisted that proceedings of the Lok Sabha cannot be debated in the Upper House.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut and party colleague Nishikant Dubey launched strong attacks on Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of inappropriate language and disrespect for parliamentary decorum.
Meanwhile, uncertainty looms over the smooth conduct of business, even as the government plans to initiate discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha later today.
With tempers flaring and political tensions high, the Budget Session continues to be marked by repeated adjournments, verbal clashes, and procedural deadlock.
