The Budget Session of Parliament is witnessing continuous disruption in the Lok Sabha. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. However, strong protests and slogan shouting by opposition members made it impossible for him to speak. As the situation worsened, the House was adjourned. Following this, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made a serious statement on the developments.
Calling the conduct of some opposition members unprecedented, Speaker Om Birla said that such behavior had never been seen before in the history of the Lok Sabha. He stated that certain members not only disrupted proceedings inside the House but also behaved inappropriately in the Speaker’s office. He described this as against parliamentary traditions and called it a black mark on the parliamentary system. He urged all parties to remember that while political differences are natural in a democracy, cooperation is essential for the smooth functioning of the House.
Unusual scenes were witnessed on Wednesday when opposition women MPs moved toward the Prime Minister’s seat carrying banners, even before his expected address. At that time, the Prime Minister was not present in the House. BJP MP P. P. Chaudhary was speaking on the Motion of Thanks. As tensions rose, the proceedings were adjourned for the entire day.
The Speaker also expressed concern over the Prime Minister’s security. He revealed that before the scheduled reply, he had received firm information that some Congress members might try to reach the Prime Minister’s seat. He said he personally observed situations that made the matter more serious. According to him, such an incident would have been extremely unfortunate and damaging to democratic traditions. Due to this risk, he requested the Prime Minister not to enter the House as a precaution.
Om Birla said that despite being the Leader of the House, Prime Minister Modi accepted his request and stayed away. He thanked the Prime Minister for respecting the decision, saying it helped prevent an unpleasant situation and preserved the dignity of the House. The Speaker added that protecting parliamentary traditions is his constitutional duty.
On Thursday, the fourth day of the Budget Session, disruptions continued in both Houses. Amid the uproar, the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address was passed in the Lok Sabha by voice vote without the Prime Minister’s speech. Although the Prime Minister was present and ready to speak, constant interruptions led the ruling side to move ahead without his address. This marked the first time since 2004 that the Motion of Thanks was passed without a Prime Minister’s reply.
