Parliament Budget Session: Parliament adjourned for the day

Opposition leaders staged a protest on Thursday over reports of a nationwide LPG shortage during the second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament.

Tensions flared in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday when BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi clashed during debate on a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla.

The confrontation began when Gandhi interrupted Prasad’s speech, claiming he had been repeatedly stopped from raising issues about Prime Minister Narendra Modi being “compromised” — a reference to the India‑US trade deal — and passages from a book by former Army chief General MM Naravane (retired).

The no-confidence motion was moved by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed after Gandhi attempted, during the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, to quote from Naravane’s unpublished memoir. The memoir reportedly contains a chapter on the 2020 Ladakh skirmishes with China. Ruling party members objected, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh saying the book had not been published or authenticated.

The Budget Session of Parliament began on January 28. The first phase concluded on February 13, while the second phase will continue until April 2.

09:23 (IST) Mar 11

Parliament Budget Session Live Updates: BJP leaders reject Opposition allegations

BJP leaders rejected the Opposition’s criticism during the debate on the resolution. Senior BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and party leader Nishikant Dubey termed the allegations against the Speaker “baseless”.

They defended the functioning of the House and said that the Speaker had followed parliamentary rules and procedures while conducting proceedings.

09:22 (IST) Mar 11

Parliament Budget Session Live Updates: Opposition says motion aimed at protecting dignity of House

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who initiated the discussion, said the motion was not driven by personal animosity but was brought to protect the dignity of Parliament.

He alleged that the Speaker had failed to maintain the impartiality required for the post and accused the government of undermining the rights of Opposition members during parliamentary proceedings.

09:21 (IST) Mar 11

Parliament Budget Session Live Updates: Debate on no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla continues

The Lok Sabha continued discussions on the no-confidence motion moved against Speaker Om Birla. Congress MP Mohammad Jawed introduced the resolution, which has been supported by 118 Opposition MPs who have alleged partisan conduct by the Speaker.

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding over the House, granted permission to move the motion and announced that 10 hours had been allotted for the debate.

Opposition leaders staged a protest over the reports of nationwide shortage of LPG on Thursday during the second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament. A heated exchange broke out in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday between BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, during the debate on the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla.

The clash began when Gandhi interjected during Prasad’s speech, claiming he had been repeatedly stopped from raising issues about Prime Minister Narendra Modi being “compromised”—a reference to the India-US trade deal—and excerpts from a book by former Army chief General MM Naravane (retired).

The motion against Birla was moved by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, following Gandhi’s attempt during the motion of thanks on the President’s Address to quote from Naravane’s unpublished memoir, which includes a chapter on the 2020 Ladakh skirmishes with China. The ruling benches objected, with defence minister Rajnath Singh noting that the book had not been published and authenticated.