The Budget Session of Parliament witnessed fresh political tension after a controversy erupted over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the Lok Sabha during a key debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
The issue began when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reportedly said he had advised the Prime Minister not to be present in the House due to “inputs” suggesting a possible incident involving Opposition MPs. This remark triggered strong reactions from women MPs of the Congress, who rejected any suggestion that they posed a threat to the Prime Minister.
In a detailed letter to the Speaker, Congress women MPs said the claim was “false, baseless and deeply hurtful.” They stressed that they are elected representatives who believe in democratic protest and parliamentary decorum. The MPs said the Prime Minister’s absence should not be linked to them and described the explanation as an attempt to divert attention from real issues being raised by the Opposition.
The letter, signed by several senior women leaders, accused the Speaker of acting under pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It also flagged what the Congress described as repeated denial of opportunities for Opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, to speak in the House during important debates.
The Congress MPs argued that it is customary for the Prime Minister to reply to the Motion of Thanks and said skipping the debate weakened parliamentary tradition. They urged the Speaker to act independently and ensure fairness, dignity and equal voice for all members.
Soon after, women MPs from the BJP also wrote to the Speaker, expressing full faith in his leadership and rejecting Congress allegations. They said the Speaker has always upheld parliamentary rules and accused the Opposition of disrupting proceedings and politicising the issue.
The standoff has added to the broader deadlock in Parliament, with repeated adjournments and sharp exchanges between the government and the Opposition.
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