Opposition Might Attack: Om Birla Says Ahead Of Adjourning, 'Asked PM Modi Not To Come'

The Lok Sabha witnessed repeated disruptions on Thursday, forcing Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House several times. Before adjourning the proceedings for the day, Birla made an important statement regarding the tense situation in Parliament and concerns over the Prime Minister's safety.

He said that what happened in the House a day earlier had raised serious concerns. According to the Speaker, there was information suggesting that a mishap could have taken place when some MPs approached the Prime Minister's seat during protests.

To prevent any such situation, he said he advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the Lok Sabha for the day.

Birla's remarks came amid continued protests by opposition members and a political war of words between the government and the Congress.

Lok Sabha Disruptions and Adjournment

Thursday's proceedings in the Lok Sabha were marked by chaos from the very beginning. The House was first adjourned within a minute of starting at 11 am due to loud protests by opposition MPs. When proceedings resumed at noon, the protests continued and the House had to be halted again.

This followed dramatic scenes on Wednesday when opposition women MPs gathered near the Prime Minister's seat in the House. They held banners and raised slogans just before the Prime Minister was expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address. Due to the ongoing protests and tense environment, the proceedings were adjourned and the Prime Minister's speech did not take place.

The situation was unusual, as it is rare for a Prime Minister to skip such an important address in the Lok Sabha. According to parliamentary sources, the decision was taken keeping security concerns in mind.

Om Birla's Statement on PM's Safety

Before adjourning the House on Thursday, Om Birla referred to the previous day's events and said that the entire country had seen what had happened inside the Lok Sabha. He stated that some MPs had moved towards the Prime Minister's chair, which created a tense atmosphere.

Birla said he received information that there could have been a serious incident if the situation had worsened. To ensure safety and maintain order, he informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the House for the day. His statement highlighted concerns about maintaining discipline and decorum in Parliament.

Government sources also claimed there were fears of a possible physical confrontation during the chaos, though no such incident took place.

Political Reactions and Ongoing Dispute

The Congress strongly rejected claims that its MPs had planned any form of attack. Party leaders said the allegations were baseless and questioned how anyone could believe that women MPs would plan violence against the Prime Minister. Opposition leaders maintained that their protests were democratic and meant to raise issues in Parliament.

The protests began after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General MM Naravane. Gandhi claimed the memoir contained details about the government's handling of the 2020 China border situation. This led to heated exchanges between the government and the opposition.

While the BJP criticised the opposition's conduct and called it irresponsible, Congress and its allies accused the government of avoiding debate and questions in Parliament.
Despite the disruptions, the Motion of Thanks on the President's address was eventually passed amid continued sloganeering.

The events of the past two days have once again raised concerns about disruptions in Parliament and the need for constructive debate. Speaker Om Birla's remarks underline the importance of maintaining order and ensuring that parliamentary proceedings run smoothly without any threat to safety or decorum.