On 4 February 2026, chaotic scenes in the Lok Sabha led to the adjournment of proceedings and the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, amid escalating confrontation between the Treasury and Opposition benches.
The disruption followed sustained protests by Opposition parties after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not permitted to quote from the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane during an earlier debate.
Jothimani Among MPs Who Blocked PM’s Seat
As proceedings resumed around 5 PM, shortly before the Prime Minister was scheduled to speak, several women MPs from the Opposition moved into the well of the House and blocked the treasury benches.
Congress MP S Jothimani, along with MPs including Varsha Gaikwad, was among those who physically obstructed access to the Prime Minister’s seat.
The MPs held up a large banner reading “Do what is right”, protesting the suspension of eight Opposition MPs the previous day.
The blockade continued despite repeated appeals from ministers to vacate the area. Sandhya Rai, who was presiding in place of the Speaker, eventually adjourned the House amid the stalemate.
The confrontation escalated outside Parliament after the Congress party shared an AI-generated video on social media platform X on 9 February 2026.
The video depicted a fictionalised scenario showing Prime Minister Modi in conversation with Speaker Om Birla, allegedly devising a plan to claim that women MPs were attempting to attack him. It further portrayed a mock “breaking news” sequence and included satirical dialogue about the Prime Minister’s global image and reactions on social media.
महिला सांसदों ने गुब्बारे की हवा निकाल दी pic.twitter.com/fXDFDmVzup
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 9, 2026
The clip drew sharp reactions from all quarters including BJP leaders, who accused the Congress of spreading misinformation and lowering parliamentary discourse.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded by releasing footage from the February 4 Lok Sabha proceedings.
The video showed Congress women MPs holding placards, surrounding the Prime Minister’s seat, and raising slogans during his address.
Rijiju termed the conduct “the most degrading behaviour” and alleged that MPs had climbed onto tables, crossed treasury benches, and advanced toward the Prime Minister’s position.
He said BJP and NDA members were “angry and agitated” but had exercised restraint to preserve the dignity of Parliament.
Rijiju further stated that BJP women MPs had been specifically instructed not to retaliate physically, warning that any escalation could have led to a far more confrontational situation inside the House.
Congress Party is proud of the most degrading behavior by their MPs !! If we had not stopped all BJP MPs and allowed the Women MPs to confront Cong. MPs, it would have led to very ugly scene.
We have very high consideration, to protect the dignity & sanctity of the Parliament. https://t.co/tRj5HjLKFH pic.twitter.com/aTmktk4Y7E— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 10, 2026
The Opposition’s protest stemmed from the earlier controversy surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to cite excerpts from General Naravane’s unpublished memoir, which he claimed contained material relevant to national security discussions.
Repeated adjournments followed, culminating in the high-drama protest that prevented the Prime Minister from delivering his concluding reply.
Source: Times of India
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
