Parliamentary Affairs Minister Releases Video, Alleges Congress Forced PM Modi's Absence
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday escalated the ongoing parliamentary controversy by releasing video footage of the February 4 Lok Sabha proceedings. The minister alleged that Congress MPs created a situation that compelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi to skip his scheduled reply to the President's Address.
Video Footage Shows Confrontational Scenes
Sharing the footage on social media platform X, Rijiju claimed the video clearly demonstrates Congress women MPs crossing over to the treasury benches while holding banners and placards. According to his statement, these MPs surrounded the Prime Minister's designated seat, creating what he described as a volatile parliamentary environment.
"Congress Party is proud of the most degrading behaviour by their MPs!" Rijiju wrote in his social media post. "If we had not stopped all the BJP MPs and allowed the women MPs to confront Congress MPs, it would have led to a very ugly scene. We have very high consideration to protect the dignity and sanctity of Parliament."
BJP MPs Restrained to Avoid Confrontation
The minister further elaborated that BJP MPs had to be actively restrained to prevent physical confrontation inside the House. "We had to control our BJP NDA MPs," Rijiju stated. "BJP women MPs were very agitated at this behaviour of the Congress MPs. We stopped our MPs from physical confrontation."
Rijiju revealed that following the incident, Congress MPs proceeded to the Speaker's Chamber where they allegedly threatened Speaker Om Birla. In response, BJP women MPs have formally lodged a complaint with the Speaker's office, awaiting appropriate action.
Speaker's Intervention Revealed
The minister reposted another video originally shared by Congress, which showed Speaker Om Birla explaining that he had personally requested the Prime Minister not to attend the House. This decision came after receiving specific inputs suggesting certain Opposition MPs might approach the Prime Minister's seat and potentially create what Birla termed an "unprecedented incident."
Background of February 4 Controversy
The controversy traces back to February 4 when Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to deliver his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. The address was ultimately cancelled after Speaker Birla stated he had received "concrete information" indicating that specific Congress MPs might attempt to disrupt parliamentary proceedings.
Congress Counters Allegations
On Monday, Congress women MPs submitted a formal letter to Speaker Birla strongly objecting to what they characterized as "grave allegations" that they had threatened or attempted to obstruct the Prime Minister within the House. Congress leaders categorically rejected these claims, countering that the Prime Minister avoided the House because he was "too scared to speak."
BJP Women MPs Submit Formal Complaint
The issue intensified further on Tuesday when BJP women MPs submitted their own letter to the Speaker, expressing full support for Birla while accusing Opposition members of unruly conduct. In their detailed communication, the BJP MPs alleged that Congress women MPs had entered the Well of the House, thrown papers toward the Chair, and subsequently surrounded the Prime Minister's seat.
The BJP letter urged Speaker Birla to take "the strongest possible action" against all individuals involved in the alleged disruption. This communication served as a direct counter to the Congress MPs' earlier letter, which had accused the Speaker of making "false, baseless, and defamatory" claims under pressure from the ruling party.
Opposition Plans Escalation
Meanwhile, opposition leaders are reportedly preparing to submit a formal notice seeking a resolution to remove the Lok Sabha Speaker from office. This development indicates the parliamentary standoff may escalate further, with both sides digging in their positions regarding the events of February 4 and their aftermath.
The released video footage and subsequent accusations have created a significant parliamentary impasse, with both ruling and opposition parties presenting conflicting narratives about what transpired during the crucial parliamentary session. The situation remains unresolved as parliamentary authorities consider appropriate responses to the formal complaints submitted by both political factions.
