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Kiren Rijiju said the government had agreed that the LoP would speak before the Prime Minister’s reply, but rules and traditions needed to be followed
File photo of Rajya Sabha. (PTI)
The standoff over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech escalated into the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with sharp exchanges between the BJP and the Opposition a day after disruptions in the Lok Sabha prevented the Prime Minister from speaking at 5 pm during the Motion of Thanks debate. Follow LIVE Updates
Raising the issue in the Upper House, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge flagged that Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak, arguing that Parliament functions as a collective of both Houses.
“Parliament means Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi wanted to speak on the country’s interests, but was not allowed to speak. How can you run the House like this?” Kharge said, adding that the Lok Sabha had not functioned for four days because the LoP was allegedly obstructed.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge says,”Parliament means Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The LoP, Lok Sabha, wanted to speak on the country’s interests, but was not allowed to speak. How can you run the House like this?”“The LoP should know that the proceedings of the… pic.twitter.com/XFAtSjQI7h
— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2026
Union ministers, however, pushed back strongly, saying proceedings of one House cannot be discussed in the other. BJP leader and union minister JP Nadda said, “The LoP should know that the proceedings of the Lok Sabha cannot be discussed in the Rajya Sabha,” while reiterating that the Modi government was ready for all discussions. Nadda said that in the Lok Sabha, “the Prime Minister was ready to speak, but the Opposition did not let the House run.”
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government had agreed that the LoP would speak before the Prime Minister’s reply, but rules and traditions needed to be followed.
“Today is the fourth day of discussion on the Motion of Thanks. We are all expecting that all MPs will follow the rules and traditions of the House,” Rijiju said. He added that while Congress MPs may choose not to listen, “all other members want to listen” to the Prime Minister. Rijiju also took a swipe at the Opposition, saying, “You should stop your leader Rahul Gandhi… you should make him understand.”
Opposition voices also weighed in, with Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav saying, “I am against anyone being blocked from being allowed to speak. The Parliament is a place to speak.” Amid the sharp back-and-forth, Kharge later said the Opposition did not wish to disrupt proceedings, even as the Chair repeatedly ruled that events in the Lok Sabha could not be debated in the Rajya Sabha.
Speaking about the comments he made yesterday, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said he would abide by the Speaker’s authority, unlike Rahul Gandhi. “I am not Rahul Gandhi, so I would not continue to shout even after the Speaker warns,” Dubey said, adding that the BJP respects the Constitution. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma accused Congress leaders of blocking the Prime Minister’s path in Parliament, saying, “You are not blocking the Prime Minister’s path but the path of the country’s development.”
February 05, 2026, 12:28 IST
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