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Modi Delivers Broad‑Scope Budget Speech as Opposition Walkout Halts Lok Sabha Proceedings

Updated (10 articles)
  • India's former army chief General MM Naravane's memoir traces his life and years in service
    Image: BBC
    India's former army chief General MM Naravane's memoir traces his life and years in service (Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • Rahul Gandhi attempted to read excerpts from the unpublished book in parliament
    Image: BBC
    Rahul Gandhi attempted to read excerpts from the unpublished book in parliament (SansadTV) Source Full size
  • The brawl between Indian and Chinese forces in the Galwan valley in Ladakh left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese troops dead
    Image: BBC
    The brawl between Indian and Chinese forces in the Galwan valley in Ladakh left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese troops dead (Getty Images) Source Full size

Opposition Walkout Disrupts Both Houses The Rajya Sabha saw a mass walkout during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the President’s address, while women MPs crossed the Lok Sabha aisle on 4 February, displayed banners and forced an adjournment before Modi could speak [1][2][4]. Speaker Om Birla had warned Modi on 4 February not to attend, citing intelligence of unprecedented protests, but the warning did not prevent the disruption [2]. The Speaker later reprimanded the opposition as “unprecedented” and expunged many remarks from the official record [2].

Motion of Thanks Passed Without Prime Minister’s Reply Despite the chaos, the Lok Sabha approved the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address on 5 February, but Modi’s customary reply was omitted because of the earlier protest [1][2]. In the Rajya Sabha, the motion was adopted after amendments were rejected, and Modi used the subsequent floor time to outline achievements in green hydrogen, artificial intelligence, rare‑earth materials, poverty alleviation (claiming 25 crore lifted), banking reforms, PSU profitability and new trade deals with nine countries and the EU [1]. The session was adjourned twice on 5 February, first at noon and again at 2 p.m., with the lower house scheduled to reconvene on 6 February at 11 a.m. [1].

Eight Opposition MPs Suspended for Remainder of Budget Session On 3 February, the Lok Sabha Speaker suspended eight MPs—seven from Congress and one from CPI(M)—for the rest of the budget session after they raised slogans, threw torn paper and protested Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the 2020 Ladakh clash [6][7]. The suspended members were Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, C Kiran Kumar Reddy, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Prashant Padole, Dean Kuriakose and S Ventakesan [6]. The budget session is slated to conclude on 13 February 2026, with live updates expected throughout [6].

Rahul Gandhi’s Attempt to Cite Unpublished Memoir Blocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tried to quote passages from former Army chief M M Naravane’s unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny during a debate on 2 February, alleging that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh relayed a “do whatever you deem appropriate” order after a two‑hour delay during the August 31 2020 Ladakh standoff [3][5][9][10]. Speaker Birla invoked Rule 349(i) to bar the reference, arguing that unpublished material unrelated to the business of the House cannot be read, a stance defended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah [9][10]. Congress accused the government of misusing procedural rules to silence the opposition, with party officials claiming the rule was misinterpreted and that the move aimed to suppress the memoir’s revelations [10].

Sources

Timeline

2020 Aug 31 – Chinese tanks advance toward Rechin La in Eastern Ladakh, sparking a clash that kills 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers; the later‑unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny alleges senior officials failed to give clear orders, leaving the army chief to “do what he deemed appropriate”[1].

2024 – The memoir remains pending defence‑ministry clearance, with Penguin Random House seeking approval while the Indian Army’s manuscript‑review process continues, and diplomatic talks later that year produce disengagement agreements that ease border tensions[1].

2026 Feb 2 – Rahul Gandhi attempts to quote the unpublished memoir during the Motion of Thanks debate, but Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju block the reference, prompting Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal to accuse the government of “using procedural rules to silence” him and to claim the rule‑misuse hides “the truth of its incompetence”[10].

2026 Feb 2 – Speaker Om Birla orders Gandhi to authenticate the magazine excerpt before citing it; Gandhi produces the copy but the Speaker still refuses to allow the reference, violating what Gandhi says is a long‑standing parliamentary convention[5].

2026 Feb 3 – Gandhi writes to Speaker Birla demanding speaking rights on the national‑security issue, labeling the denial “the first time in Parliamentary history… a blot on our democracy”[5].

2026 Feb 3 – The Lok Sabha suspends eight Congress MPs for the remainder of the budget session after they raise slogans and throw torn paper, while Gandhi’s letter decries the suspension as a democratic affront[9].

2026 Feb 4 – Gandhi displays a copy of Naravane’s unpublished memoir inside the Lok Sabha, vows to hand it to Prime Minister Modi if he appears on the floor, and triggers repeated adjournments as women opposition MPs cross the aisle with banners, prompting the Speaker to invoke Rule 349(i) to bar further references[7].

2026 Feb 4 – Opposition MPs block Modi’s scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks, insisting the Prime Minister may speak only after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is allowed to address the House, echoing Gandhi’s earlier citation attempt[6].

2026 Feb 4 – Speaker Om Birla had warned Modi on Feb 4 not to attend the Lok Sabha, citing “definite information” of an unprecedented protest, but the warning proves moot as the session is adjourned amid the chaos[3].

2026 Feb 5 – The Lok Sabha passes the Motion of Thanks without the Prime Minister’s customary reply; BJP leaders denounce Gandhi’s use of the unpublished memoir as a breach of parliamentary rules, while the Speaker expunges opposition remarks from the official record[1].

2026 Feb 5 – In the Rajya Sabha, opposition members stage a walkout during Modi’s broad‑scope speech on green hydrogen, AI, trade deals and poverty alleviation, demanding Leader of the Opposition speaking rights and prompting multiple suspensions of proceedings[2].

2026 Feb 6 – Parliament reconvenes, with the Lok Sabha scheduled to resume at 11 a.m. and the Rajya Sabha at 3 p.m., setting the stage for the final days of the budget session[2].

2026 Feb 13 – The budget session is slated to conclude, ending a turbulent parliamentary period marked by protests, suspensions and the ongoing controversy over the unpublished army chief’s memoir[4].

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