Parliament Budget session Highlights: Both Houses adjourned after Govt-Opposition truce talks with Om Birla

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Monday accused the government of deliberately stalling Parliament, saying its smooth functioning was in the best interest of farmers and the general public. He alleged that the government had signed a deal with the United States that would severely impact farmers, stressing that it was essential for Parliament to function so such issues could be discussed. “It is unfortunate that the government is not letting the House function,” Prasad said.

Reacting to Opposition parties bringing a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Monday said the move reflected the Opposition’s desperation. He alleged that in their bid to revive themselves politically, Opposition parties were taking unconstitutional and unnecessary steps. “The motion they are bringing now has no meaning whatsoever,” Kushwaha said, dismissing the Opposition’s move.

Opposition leaders on Monday said they held a discussion with the Lok Sabha Speaker and raised several concerns over the conduct of proceedings in the House. They alleged that one of their members was not allowed to speak and that their MPs were suspended, while a BJP MP continued to speak and even quoted from a book without any action being taken against him.

The Opposition also strongly rejected allegations that some MPs wanted to attack the Prime Minister, calling such claims disturbing and completely baseless. They asserted that there was no question of anyone intending to harm the Prime Minister.

According to the Opposition, an agreement has now been reached with the Speaker that they will be allowed to raise a few points, and that proceedings in the Lok Sabha will resume on Tuesday.

The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs is set to hold a crucial meeting on Tuesday, during which senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce will brief members on key foreign policy and trade-related issues. The meeting will include a detailed discussion on India’s current foreign policy approach, along with presentations on the India–US trade agreement and the status of negotiations on the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Officials are also expected to provide information on India–Bangladesh relations, while a broader discussion on the prevailing global trade situation may also take place.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had given him a personal assurance that he would be allowed to speak in the House.

However, Sandhya Rai, who was in the Chair, said she had not received any formal notice regarding the matter.

Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day. The house will resume tomorrow (Tuesday).  

Congress MP KC Venugopal, reacting to the no-confidence move against Speaker Om Birla, says, "The Leader of the Opposition is meant to be the shadow of the Prime Minister but is not allowed to speak in the House. There is no space for the opposition in this house. I cannot comment on reports and will wait for action."

Opposition MPs are likely to move a resolution to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging that he made defamatory allegations against them after the cancellation of PM Modi's speech. They are likely to submit the resolution to Lok Sabha Secretary General shortly, sources told India Today. Read more here: 

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On opposition planning no-confidence motion against Speaker Birla, SP MP Dimple Yadav says, "Whatever senior INDIA bloc leaders decide, opposition will stick to it. The comments of ruling party leaders are never expunged, the mics of opposition leaders are always cut off."

A notice to move a resolution for the removal of the Lok Sabha Speaker is likely to be submitted shortly to the Lok Sabha Secretary General, sources said, invoking provisions under Article 94(c) of the Constitution.

On opposition planning no-confidence motion against Speaker Birla, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "It seems the government or the Speaker has no interest in running Parliament."

Opposition parties are likely to move a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, sources said on Monday.

“All opposition parties are united. You wait for us to take action,” Congress veteran KC Venugopal said.

Venugopal accused the government of stifling debate in the House, saying the ruling dispensation was unwilling to allow discussion. “All are suffering. This government wants to run the House only for themselves. We are ready to debate and talk but they don’t want discussion,” he said.

Rajya Sabha saw mostly smooth proceedings, with occasional disruptions by opposition members. When Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Chairman CP Radhakrishnan to step in after Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi was repeated not allowed to speak. The Chairman said issues related to the Lok Sabha could not be taken up in the Upper House.

Radhakrishnan added that the discussion would not go on record amid sloganeering by opposition MPs.

The Lok Sabha resumed at noon to take up discussion on the Union Budget but proceedings were quickly disrupted as Congress members pressed for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to be allowed to speak.

Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was presiding over proceedings, urged members to stick to the list of business, which had Congress MP Shashi Tharoor listed as the first speaker.

When asked whether he wished to proceed with his speech, Tharoor said he would "leave it to the LoP". Tenneti then adjourned the House.

Defending Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision to warn Prime Minister Narendra Modi against attending, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at the Congress over its conduct in Parliament.

Reacting to the Speaker’s disclosure that he had advised Modi to skip Wednesday's Motion of Thanks to the President's address after receiving “credible” information about possible “unforeseen” actions by some Congress MPs, Rijiju said the party's behaviour crossed all limits. 

Rijiju accused the Congress leadership of failing to rein in its members. “When the Congress party’s leader has no control over himself, then what the Speaker has done is right,” he said, alleging there was a plan to “snatch away papers from the PM when he comes to the House.”

“Parliament is not a place for gundagardi (hooliganism),” the Union minister said, adding that the government had shown restraint despite provocation.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday blamed the Congress for repeated disruptions in the Lok Sabha, saying the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address could not be held because the opposition was not allowing the House to function.

“I think the Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha does not want the House to run,” Rijiju told reporters, adding that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was “hurt by the Congress MPs’ behaviour.” He said the government was keen to conduct business but warned that continued disruptions could force key debates to be curtailed.

Rijiju cautioned that if the Budget were passed by a voice vote due to persistent disruptions, opposition MPs would lose the opportunity to speak. “This will affect opposition MPs the most,” he said, noting that the government had already submitted a list of NDA members scheduled to speak during the Budget debate.

“If MPs don’t get a chance to speak, the Congress party will be responsible,” Rijiju said, accusing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of stalling proceedings. “The House is stalled solely due to Rahul Gandhi’s stubbornness.”

The Lok Sabha resumed on Monday but was adjourned within minutes as opposition MPs raised loud protests soon after the House convened.

Speaker Om Birla appealed for calm and urged members to allow the Question Hour to proceed. He said all members, including the Leader of the Opposition, would be allowed to speak later.

When opposition MPs continued sloganeering, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon.

Floor leaders of the INDIA opposition bloc met on Monday at the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament House complex to coordinate their floor strategy.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting, which was also joined by MPs from the Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT). Senior Congress leaders Manickam Tagore, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal were among those present.

The Lok Sabha will take up Question Hour, followed by the laying of papers by ministers from culture, finance, education, environment, labour and other departments. The House will also hear matters raised under Rule 377 before resuming the general discussion on the Union Budget 2026-27.

Opposition floor leaders will meet at the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge at 10 am today to chalk out their strategy for the remainder of the Budget Session.

The meeting was called amid growing logjam in Parliament,  and is aimed at deciding the Opposition’s next course of action to corner the government.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday that 19 hours and 13 minutes had been lost to disruptions during the ongoing session, as repeated opposition protests brought proceedings to a halt.

Birla accused opposition members of disrespecting parliamentary decorum and said it was not possible to run “such a House” amid constant interruptions. His remarks came as sloganeering and protests continued despite repeated appeals from the Chair, before the House was adjourned for the day.