Lok Sabha Chaos: Women MPs Block PM Modi's Seat Over Suspensions
Opposition women MPs protest suspensions by surrounding PM Modi's seat.
Chaos in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday led to the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled reply to the Vote of Thanks on the President’s address, as repeated disruptions forced multiple adjournments of the House. The standoff reflected escalating tensions between the government and the opposition over procedural and political disputes that have dominated the ongoing session.
The trouble began earlier in the day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not permitted to quote from the unpublished memoirs of former Army chief General M.M. Naravane. The Opposition protested the decision, triggering repeated adjournments. The situation intensified again around 5 pm, shortly before the prime minister was expected to speak.
At that point, several women Members of Parliament from the Opposition, including Varsha Gaikwad and Jyotimani, moved into the well of the House and blocked the seats of ruling party members, including the Prime Minister’s seat. Holding a banner reading “Do what is right”, the MPs protested the suspension of eight opposition lawmakers a day earlier.
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Sandhya Rai, who was presiding in place of the speaker, adjourned the proceedings amid the disruption. The women MPs vacated the area only after several senior ministers intervened and urged them to leave, officials said. By then, the House atmosphere had deteriorated to the extent that the Prime Minister’s address could not proceed.
Later, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleged that the protest was pre-planned and claimed the women MPs had intended to attack the Prime Minister, an allegation rejected by opposition leaders. He said swift intervention by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju helped defuse the situation.
When the Lok Sabha reassembled later, fresh sloganeering by opposition members—this time over the 2020 standoff with China—led to further disruption and another adjournment. The motion of thanks remains pending, and with the House adjourned until the next day, the discussion is expected to resume when proceedings reconvene.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Shows Naravane Memoir, Accuses PM of Passing Buck on China Conflict
