New Delhi, Feb 10 (.) Backing Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) women MPs on Tuesday demanded “the strongest possible action” against Opposition MPs over the February 4 incident, when Opposition women MPs reportedly “surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat” ahead of his arrival during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.
In a letter to the Speaker, the BJP MPs alleged that Opposition women MPs “surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat” on February 4 and later approached the Speaker’s chamber aggressively. They called for “the strongest possible action” against those involved, describing the episode as “unfortunate and regrettable” and saying it had damaged the dignity of Parliament. The MPs said failure to act could set a dangerous precedent and erode public trust in democratic institutions.
The letter came in response to a complaint by Congress women MPs accusing the ruling party of making “false, baseless, and defamatory” claims against them. The BJP MPs alleged that opposition members entered the Well of the House, climbed tables, tore papers, and threw them toward the Speaker. They said they remained calm following instructions from senior leaders and called the episode one of the “darkest moments in the history of our parliamentary democracy.”
Speaker Birla had earlier said he had requested PM Modi not to attend the House to prevent any “unpleasant incident” after learning that some Congress MPs might approach the Prime Minister’s seat. Congress women MPs, in turn, said their protests were peaceful and in line with parliamentary norms but claimed they faced “unprecedented targeting.”
The BJP letter also highlighted that during the Motion of Thanks, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was repeatedly denied an opportunity to speak over four days.
Opposition MPs have been protesting the Speaker’s refusal to allow Rahul Gandhi to cite contentious excerpts from Naravane’s memoir related to the 2020 India-China border standoff. BJP members objected strongly, accusing Gandhi of misleading the House and disrespecting the armed forces. Speaker Om Birla condemned the disruptions as “planned” and unbecoming of Parliament
Meanwhile, opposition parties are looking to firm up their strategy during the ongoing budget session. Leaders of the INDIA bloc are scheduled to meet on February 10 at 10 am to discuss floor coordination, key issues to be raised in Parliament, and a unified response to recent political and parliamentary developments.
Separately, the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs is scheduled to hold a crucial meeting on February 10, with discussions expected to focus on key foreign policy matters amid evolving global developments. The meeting comes at a politically significant moment during the budget session.
The row comes amid a Lok Sabha stalemate over Rahul Gandhi’s address during the Motion of Thanks, in which he cited former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s memoir on the 2020 border standoff with China.
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