Parliament Budget Session Live: Lok Sabha passes Motion of Thanks without PM's address

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday demanded that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, accusing the government of fear over parliamentary scrutiny.

"They should allow the LoP to speak... He (Rahul Gandhi) should be allowed to speak. What are they afraid of? Are they afraid that he will quote from a book?... Are they afraid that we will hold them accountable because they have entered into this trade deal, under which the lives of all farmers are going to be destroyed," Gandhi said. 

The Opposition, led by Congress, staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was barred from quoting a memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane concerning the 2020 India-China conflict. The disruption began soon after papers were laid in the Upper House, when the Chair called on a member to raise a Zero Hour mention. Congress MPs demanded that Kharge be allowed to speak first, sparking tension in the House.

The situation escalated further when Kharge raised the issue of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha. This led to heated exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches. Amid the uproar, members from Congress, TMC, AAP, CPI, and CPI(M) staged a coordinated walkout. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday objected to the use of the word 'lynch' by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha, saying it was inappropriate for parliamentary proceedings.

Speaking during the Budget Session, Sitharaman urged the Chair to remove the term from the official record. "I want the word 'lynch' removed. The honourable Leader of Opposition is not right in using that word," she said.

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Thursday responded to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's recent 'traitor' remarks, defending his decision to leave the Congress and criticising the party's leadership style.

"When we were there (in Congress), we were winning seats for the party. We were never a burden on them. Then, when it became clear that the party had become a family affair and was no longer the Congress party it once was, everyone started leaving. If it had remained the real Congress, people would have stayed. I said that if this were the real Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi themselves would have climbed on tables and gotten suspended first," Bittu said. 

Congress MP Imraan Masood on Thursday strongly criticised the government over its trade agreement with the United States, calling it a threat to India’s farmers and economic interests. "You will have to answer in the House. You have mortgaged the entire country to America, so you will have to answer for it. You have ruined the farmers... This is a direct attack on the very backbone of the country," he told reporters outside Parliament. 

Congress MP KC Venugopal on Thursday criticised the government for preventing the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, in the Lok Sabha from speaking, saying it undermines the fundamentals of a parliamentary democracy.

"In a parliamentary democracy, the Leader of the Opposition has a right to speak and initiate debate, which is completely denied in this House. Our single point agenda is that the LoP has to be allowed to speak. The real fact is that the farmers of India are very concerned about this deal (US-India trade agreement). India has been compromised with this deal," Venugopal said. 

The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address without Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering his reply, underscoring the disruption that has marked the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. The move came after Opposition members repeatedly clashed with the treasury benches over denial of Rahul Gandhi's speech, citing ex-Army chief MM Naravane's memoir. 

Union Minister JP Nadda on Thursday blamed the Opposition for stalling Parliament, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was prepared to speak in the Lok Sabha but was prevented from doing so because of continued protests. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Nadda said the Opposition disrupted proceedings and then accused the government of undermining democracy. "You did not let the House function. I strongly condemn the allegation that democracy is in danger," he said.

Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership, Nadda urged the party to follow democratic practices internally as well. "Do not make your party a hostage of a naive child. Not only in the House, but within your party also, handle matters democratically. Beware of naivety and arrogance," Nadda added.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday said he would abide by any decision taken by the Lok Sabha Speaker and accused the Opposition of lacking respect for parliamentary authority amid continuing disruptions in the Lower House.

"The Speaker will decide which rule I have violated. I am not Rahul Gandhi, so I would not continue to shout even after the Speaker warns. It may be that they have no respect for the Speaker, but the BJP respects the Constitution. If the Speaker thinks I should be sent out of the House, then I will obey him and not protest his order. Today again I have brought many file," he said. 

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, questioning his choice of words and accusing him of displaying a "rotten and corrupt mindset".

"Look at his choice of words, the way he said about the Epstein files too, that there's more 'maal' and 'kebab' in it. What can you expect from a person with such a rotten and corrupt mindset?" Ranaut said. 

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha began briefly on Thursday but were soon adjourned till 12 noon, extending the disruption that has marked the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament. The House assembled in the morning amid continuing tensions between the treasury benches and the Opposition over debates on the President's Address and the Union Budget. However, repeated protests and sloganeering forced the Chair to adjourn the sitting till noon.

Union Minister and BJP president JP Nadda on Thursday objected to the Opposition raising Lok Sabha matters in the Rajya Sabha, saying proceedings of the Lower House cannot be discussed in the Upper House during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.

"Union Minister and BJP president JP Nadda on Wednesday objected to the Opposition raising Lok Sabha matters in the Rajya Sabha, saying proceedings of the Lower House cannot be discussed in the Upper House during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament," Nadda said. 

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday urged Members of Parliament to follow the rules and traditions of the House, saying all MPs were waiting to hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address in the Rajya Sabha amid continued disruptions during the Budget Session.

"Today we all are expecting that all MPs will follow rules and traditions of the house. All MPs are waiting to hear the PM's speech today. If Congress doesn't want to listen to the PM's address, but all other members do. Your LoP Lok Sabha doesn't follow the House rules," Rijiju said. 

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday flagged the disruption in the Lok Sabha, saying Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak on issues of national interest, prompting a sharp rebuttal from Union Minister JP Nadda in the Upper House. "Parliament means Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The LoP, Lok Sabha, wanted to speak on the country's interests, but was not allowed to speak," Kharge said.  

Responding to the charge, BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda objected, saying the Rajya Sabha cannot be used to discuss proceedings of the Lok Sabha. “The Leader of Opposition should know that the proceedings of the Lok Sabha cannot be discussed in the Rajya Sabha,” Nadda said.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday called on all MPs to uphold the rules and traditions of the House, as he spoke in the Rajya Sabha ahead of the Prime Minister’s address.

Rijiju said that MPs across parties were looking forward to hearing the Prime Minister’s speech. He took a swipe at the Congress, suggesting that while most members were willing to listen, the party appeared reluctant.

Referring to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju alleged that House rules were not being followed, and stressed the need for decorum and adherence to parliamentary procedure during proceedings.

A sharp exchange unfolded in the Rajya Sabha after Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objected to what he described as restrictions on speaking about matters of national interest in Parliament.

Kharge said that Parliament comprises both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and questioned why the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was allegedly not allowed to speak on issues concerning the country. “How can you run the House like this?” he asked during the debate.

Responding to the remarks, Union Minister JP Nadda said that proceedings of the Lok Sabha cannot be discussed in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that parliamentary rules must be followed.

The brief confrontation highlighted ongoing friction between the government and the Opposition over parliamentary procedure and floor time.

Shortly after convening for the day, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were briefly adjourned due to raucous protests by opposition MPs. The Lower House was adjourned till noon.

A meeting of floor leaders of the INDIA bloc is underway at Parliament House in Delhi as Opposition parties huddle to firm up their strategy amid continuing disruptions in Parliament during the Budget Session. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandh, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and other senior leaders were present in the meeting. 

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Wednesday hit out at the BJP over remarks made by one of its MPs in the Lok Sabha, saying the language used in the House was offensive and deserved strong objection during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.

"The kind of shoddy words used by a BJP MP in the House (Lok Sabha) yesterday would arouse anger in anyone. Doesn't the BJP MP have any shame for using such words for the people who lost their lives? What has the PM done by selling the interests of our farmers to the US! He must not have had the courage to speak in Parliament...We have called a meeting of the INDIA alliance today. We will ask questions to the PM in the Rajya Sabha. We will not sit quietly," Tiwari said. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday accused the government of creating a hostile atmosphere in Parliament and blocking the Opposition from raising issues in the Lok Sabha.

A certain kind of atmosphere is being created in Parliament... It is the opposition's job to raise all questions in the Lok Sabha. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak. The Leader of the Opposition was referring to a book, but he was told that the book had not been published, so today he even brought the book with him. In the Rajya Sabha too, people quote from books. How can it be that the BJP is allowed to quote from books, but the opposition is not...?" she asked. 

The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday minutes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to address the House, following noisy protests by opposition MPs that escalated into confrontations near the treasury benches, triggering sharp allegations and counter-allegations from both sides. Read here.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal on Wednesday criticised Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, calling the comment inappropriate and reflective of poor political values.

"It is unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha addresses a responsible minister of the Central Government as a traitor. This shows what kind of values Rahul Gandhi has," Khandelwal said while speaking to news agency ANI. 

Congress leader Udit Raj on Wednesday defended Rahul Gandhi over his remarks targeting Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, saying the Leader of Opposition had spoken "in jest" and that the BJP was deliberately magnifying the issue for political mileage.

"Rahul Gandhi has a very pure heart. He had said it in jest, which the BJP has blown out of proportion, and put Ravneet Singh Bittu on a pedestal... And what's there for him to be annoyed about? The Congress party is the one that made his entire family into politicians. So, he has indeed committed betrayal. There was no ill will in what Rahul Gandhi said," Rai said. 

Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma on Wednesday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his 'traitor' remark against Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, saying the comment reflected what he called the Congress party's "bankrupt mindset".

"The Congress does not need any opposition party to finish it off, ”Rahul Gandhi alone is enough as through his statements and "wrong policies he is hollowing out the party from within," Sharma said. 

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday claimed that at least 150 books lay bare what he described as the Nehru-Gandhi family's "deceit, corruption and immoral relationships".

"I urge the speaker (Om Birla) to allow a discussion on these published books, which have the story of what happened before 2014 and how that harmed the country. A big section of people is not aware of these books," Dubey told reporters in Parliament. 

"For the last three days, the Leader of Opposition has not been allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, and he has not been able to finish his speech. If the LoP does not speak, what is the point of a debate? The prime minister replies to the debate. If the debate hasn't taken place, what will the PM speak on," Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, asked. 

The Motion of Thanks on the President's Address may be passed in the Lok Sabha without Prime Minister Narendra Modi replying to the debate, sources said, as repeated disruptions triggered by Rahul Gandhi's speech continued to stall proceedings in the Lower House. According to sources, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, where the discussion has concluded without disruption. The government is planning to get the Motion of Thanks passed in both Houses on the same day, even if the Lok Sabha debate does not resume normally.