Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 6: Uncertainty continues to loom over the remaining days of the first phase of the Budget Session of Parliament, as Opposition parties threatened to intensify protests over the denial of an opportunity to the Leader of the Opposition to speak in the Lok Sabha and the suspension of eight MPs.

Opposition leaders said the government’s refusal to allow Rahul Gandhi to address the House on issues including former Army chief General MM Naravane’s book has left little scope for normal functioning. With no conciliatory move from the ruling side, they warned that debates on the Union Budget 2026–27 could be derailed.

The first phase of the Budget Session, which has been marked by repeated disruptions and uproar, is scheduled to conclude on February 13. Parliament will reconvene after a recess for the second phase from March 9 to April 2.

On Friday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day following continuous sloganeering and protests by Opposition members. Speaker Om Birla criticised MPs for displaying placards and disrupting proceedings, noting that 19 hours and 13 minutes of House time had already been lost during the ongoing session.

While the Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up discussions on the Union Budget on February 9, 10 and 11, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to reply on February 11, Opposition leaders made it clear that the discussions would not proceed smoothly under the prevailing circumstances.

Sources said a meeting of floor leaders of Opposition parties on Thursday unanimously decided to step up protests over the “book row” and the government’s refusal to allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak. Opposition parties also maintained that no Budget discussion should take place unless the suspension of eight MPs — seven from the Congress and one from the CPI(M) — is revoked.

The Congress and its allies claimed the government was under pressure, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the Lok Sabha during the reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address. According to them, this reflected the government’s discomfort over the Budget and the Indo-US trade deal.

Rahul Gandhi’s continued attacks on the Prime Minister over the India–US trade negotiations have, Opposition leaders believe, resonated strongly. Parties including the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, Left parties and the DMK have rallied behind the Congress, a unity that was also visible when Opposition MPs staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha during the Prime Minister’s reply.

Although Budget discussions were scheduled to begin on February 5, proceedings were repeatedly washed out due to escalating protests. Prime Minister Modi’s sharp attack on the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday further widened the rift.

Tensions escalated further after Speaker Om Birla claimed he had “credible information” about some Congress MPs planning “unprecedented action” against the Prime Minister, an allegation strongly rejected by Opposition leaders.

Speaking to TNIE, Congress chief whip Kodikunnil Suresh said the government had made no effort to engage with the Opposition. He said repeated demands to allow Rahul Gandhi to speak in the Lok Sabha, particularly in the context of General Naravane’s memoir on the 2020 China standoff, had gone unanswered.

“It is the duty of the government to initiate dialogue and arrive at a consensus, but no such attempt has been made so far,” Suresh said, adding that even after Opposition leaders met the Speaker and placed their demands, there was no response from the government.