New Delhi, Feb 9 (UNI) The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday following repeated disruptions and a sharp standoff between the Government side and the Opposition, after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded that he be allowed to speak before the commencement of the general discussion on the union Budget.
The impasse came to a head in the afternoon sitting when Gandhi insisted that the Chair had earlier assured him an opportunity to raise certain issues before the Budget debate. “The Speaker personally committed to us that I would be allowed to speak here and raise some points before the Budget discussion. Now you are going back on your word, so I would like to know whether I am allowed to speak on those points or not,” Gandhi said amid loud support from Opposition benches.
The Chair, however, ruled that while Gandhi was free to participate in the Budget discussion, she could not permit him to raise the matter he was referring to as no prior notice had been submitted. She maintained that without a formal notice, she lacked the authority to allow a separate intervention. As the uproar continued and sloganeering intensified, the House was adjourned for the day.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha had been adjourned till 2.00 PM following sustained protests by Opposition members over a range of issues, including demands for a discussion on the India–US interim trade framework. When the House reconvened at noon after an earlier adjournment, Opposition MPs again moved into the well of the House and raised slogans. Although official papers were laid on the Table, proceedings could not continue smoothly.
The Chair called upon members to proceed with the general discussion on the union Budget 2026–27, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. However, as disruptions persisted, the proceedings were adjourned until 2.00 PM, resulting in no legislative business being transacted during that period.
The day’s disruptions began soon after the House assembled in the morning. Shortly after Question Hour commenced, repeated sloganeering forced an adjournment till noon. Expressing strong displeasure, Speaker Om Birla accused the Opposition of deliberately stalling parliamentary work.
“Do you want to adjourn the House? Do you not want to work?” Birla asked protesting members. Emphasising the importance of parliamentary decorum, he said, “The House is for debate and discussion. Please talk about issues, raise them. Everyone will get a chance to speak; no one will be barred from speaking.”
Despite the Speaker’s appeal, the protests continued unabated, prompting him to announce, barely seven minutes into the sitting, that the proceedings were being adjourned till 12 noon.
With repeated adjournments throughout the day, the much-anticipated general discussion on the union Budget could not be taken up, underscoring the deepening confrontation between the government and the Opposition in the ongoing session. UNI SKA KK