Stalemate continued in the Lok Sabha on Friday in the backdrop of a fresh procedural dispute raised by the Congress over how the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address was adopted yesterday.
Lok Sabha adopts Motion of Thanks on President's Address without PM's reply amid Opposition sloganeering
The Lok Sabha, which was scheduled to hold a general discussion on the Union Budget 2026–27 on Friday, could not do so amid repeated adjournments and opposition protests. The stalemate continued in the lower house in the backdrop of a fresh procedural dispute raised by the Congress over how the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address was adopted yesterday.
The House assembled at 11 am for government business, starting with Question Hour, but had to be adjourned amid continuing opposition protests. Amid the din, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla warned the opposition MPs and said, “If you want to end the dignity of the House, then the House cannot function in such a situation.”
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The Speaker then adjourned the Lok Sabha proceedings first till 12 noon and then till 11 am on February 9 (Monday) amid continuing uproar from the opposition.
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Earlier, Congress MP and Public Accounts Committee chairperson KC Venugopal wrote to the Speaker alleging “serious procedural irregularities” in the adoption of the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, claiming violations of parliamentary rules.
The issue centres on how the Motion of Thanks was taken up and cleared in the Lok Sabha on February 5, 2026. The motion was passed without Prime Minister Narendra Modi replying to the debate, even as the House witnessed repeated disruptions and adjournments through the day. Opposition members, led by the Congress, protested throughout the proceedings, and the Prime Minister was not present in the House when the motion was finally put to vote.
In his letter to the Speaker, Venugopal cited Rule 20 of the Rules of Procedure, stating that “as per Rule 20 of the Rules, it is mandatory for the Hon’ble Prime Minister to explain the position of the Government at the end of the discussion on the Motion of Thanks.” He added that “in the present case, neither did the Hon’ble Prime Minister reply to the debate nor was the House informed about his inability to do so,” which, he said, “clearly amounts to a violation of the provisions of Rule 20.”
Venugopal also referred to established parliamentary practice, noting that “a debate is normally concluded with the reply of the concerned Minister.” He pointed out that in exceptional situations, “a motion under Rule 362 is required to be moved by a Member” to formally close the debate without such a reply.
According to him, “no such motion under Rule 362 was moved,” and instead, “at around 12 o’clock, the Motion of Thanks was abruptly put before the House, thereby bringing the debate to a close without following the prescribed procedure.” He said this “constitutes a violation of Rule 362.”
The Congress MP urged the Speaker to “kindly inform the House about the authenticity of the procedure followed” concerning the PM’s reply under Rule 20 and the closure of the debate under Rule 362.
Apart from the Budget discussion, several Union ministers were scheduled to lay papers on the table today, including representatives from the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Defence, External Affairs, Law and Justice, and Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
From 3.30 pm onwards, the Lok Sabha was due to take up Private Members’ Business. The list included the introduction of several Private Members’ Bills, among them Constitution Amendment Bills and proposed changes to the Representation of the People Act.
Other Bills related to the welfare of students, senior citizens, farmers, women, fishermen, and workers, along with proposals touching on artificial intelligence, healthcare, education, the environment, labour reforms, digital platforms, and social security.
The Budget Session has seen repeated stoppages as opposition MPs, including Congress members, staged protests over a separate flashpoint involving Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The row began during a discussion when Gandhi raised the issue of the 2020 India-China standoff, but was not allowed to quote from the unpublished memoir of former Army chief General MM Naravane, triggering continued disruptions in the House.
In the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday, spoke on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address and turned his fire on the Congress, referring to a controversy around a “traitor” remark aimed at BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu.
Taking aim at the Congress leadership, Modi said the comment showed the party’s “arrogance at its peak” and described it as an insult to the Sikh community. He alleged that Bittu was singled out because he is Sikh, and called the remark an affront to Sikh Gurus and Sikh values.
The Budget Session has 30 sittings scheduled over 65 days and is set to end on April 2. Both Houses will break for recess on February 13 and return on March 9, when Standing Committees will take up the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments for scrutiny.
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