Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has come out firmly in support of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla amid a no-confidence motion against him, accusing sections of the Opposition, especially the Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, of turning Parliament into a site of repeated disruption rather than debate.
His remarks come as tensions continue to run high in the House. The Opposition has been pressing the government on a range of issues, while the ruling side has accused it of resorting to sloganeering, protests, and stunts.
Rijiju’s comments, made in an interview with news agency ANI, framed the confrontation as a broader battle over parliamentary conduct and political responsibility.
Rijiju backs Speaker, criticises Opposition conduct
On the no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla, Rijiju said the Speaker’s role was to ensure proceedings run smoothly, allow government business, and give the Opposition a chance to speak.
“The Speaker’s job is to run proceedings, enable government business, and give opposition MPs a chance to speak,” he said. Referring to a recent protest inside the Speaker’s chamber, Rijiju added that Birla had shown “restraint and softness”.
“Had Somnath Chatterjee been the Speaker, he might have suspended everyone,” he remarked, drawing a comparison with the former Lok Sabha Speaker known for strict enforcement of House rules.
Rijiju further alleged that frequent disruptions in Parliament were largely driven by Congress. “The Parliament that is prevented from running, where papers are thrown or banners are used to disrupt, is largely the work of Congress. Samajwadi also does it, but they can be reasoned with,” he said.
He added that smaller Opposition parties were often deprived of speaking time because of disruptions. “Smaller opposition parties and MPs lose time to speak due to Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour. They are unable to raise their constituency’s issues,” he said.
Sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi
In a series of remarks directed at the Leader of Opposition, Rijiju described Gandhi’s conduct as “childish and irresponsible for someone in his position”.
“A Leader of the Opposition represents the whole opposition. Going outside the House, calling people traitors, staging theatrical sit-ins and insisting on reading from an unpublished book, all this is child-like behaviour. We have never seen such a LoP in the history of India,” he said in an interview with ANI.
He went further, saying, “Rahul Gandhi has become the most dangerous person for India’s security. Because he associates with anti-India forces. He meets people abroad and at home, Naxalites, extremists, ideologues, people like George Soros.”
#WATCH | “Rahul Gandhi has become the most dangerous person for India’s security. Because he associates with anti-India forces. He meets people abroad and at home, Naxalites, extremists, ideologues, people like George Soros…” says Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren… pic.twitter.com/8niJyTrkSy
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2026
On Gandhi’s allegations related to the Epstein Files, Rijiju said, “First, consider why Rahul Gandhi’s followers do not take this seriously: he speaks without truth. If the Prime Minister met someone, or if documents exist, present them. They are forcibly taking the Prime Minister’s name without basis. This causes despair and disappointment.”
Response to Mani Shankar Aiyar and Congress leadership
Reacting to remarks by senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, Rijiju said the party had once been led by leaders with “maturity in their speech and work”.
“Slowly, though, Congress has become like Rahul Gandhi and those who revolve around him have also become like him. We could not have imagined Congress becoming like this: continuing the same leader even after losing three times in a row. A BJP leader would not remain a leader after losing three times,” he said.
On India-US trade and parliamentary functioning
Addressing concerns raised by the Opposition over the India-US trade deal, Rijiju said there was “no need to worry” about the interests of farmers, workers or small-scale industries.
“Regarding trade deals, Piyush Goyal explained in detail. The Prime Minister works for India’s interest. There is no need to worry for farmers, workers, textile workers, or small-scale industries. Prime Minister Modi has considered every interest. This is historic: every developed country wants to work harmoniously with India,” he said.
On the functioning of Parliament more broadly, Rijiju acknowledged that noise and protest were part of democratic politics but drew a line at what he described as disorderly behaviour.
“Parliamentary democracy will always have noise and commotion. Every party has its own agenda and will try to press it in the House. That in itself isn’t automatically a failure. But when in opposition, we did not throw papers at the Speaker or carry banners to the ruling side. This is the reason why I am upset,” he said.