Women MPs Near PM’s Chair, Chaos: Kiren Rijiju Shares Video of Events That Rocked Lok Sabha on Feb 4

New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday released a video of the February 4 Lok Sabha proceedings that captured a chaotic Parliament scene, with several women Members of Parliament (MPs) surrounding the seat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, moments before he was scheduled to reply to the President’s Address.

The video, shared by Rijiju on social media platform X, shows opposition women MPs - predominantly from the Congress party - holding banners and placards and moving towards the Treasury benches near the Prime Minister’s chair. Despite appeals from government MPs to stand down, they remained in position, prompting disruptions in the House.

Rijiju’s accompanying post alleged that the conduct of the opposition had degraded parliamentary norms and suggested that, had BJP MPs not intervened, the situation “would have led to a very ugly scene”. He insisted that the BJP acted to safeguard the dignity and sanctity of Parliament.

The unrest forced Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn proceedings and to advise the Prime Minister not to enter the House that afternoon - leading to the cancellation of Mr. Modi’s scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

Government MPs, including Manoj Tiwari, later described the actions by opposition women MPs as aggressive and pre-planned, even characterizing them as a potential security concern.

Responding to the video release, the Congress party rejected the government’s narrative, alleging that the Prime Minister was “too scared to speak” and disputing claims that opposition MPs intended to attack him on the floor of the House. They have also written to the Speaker, condemning what they described as “grave allegations” that they threatened or tried to obstruct the Prime Minister.

The February 4 disruptions form part of a broader series of clashes between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties in the current Parliament session, with debates descending into sloganeering and walkouts over procedural issues - including objections to restrictions on opposition speeches and disagreements over key policy matters.

As the controversy continues to unfold, both sides are trading accusations over who is responsible for the breakdown in decorum, with no clear end to the parliamentary standoff in sight.

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