The Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address on 5 February 2026 without Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering the customary reply.
The session was marked by repeated disruptions and protests from opposition members, particularly Congress MPs, resulting in the adjournment of the House and the absence of the Prime Minister during the proceedings. The motion was adopted by a voice vote amid ongoing uproar.
According to Deccan Herald, Speaker Om Birla stated that he had received concrete information that several Congress MPs might attempt an “unexpected act” by approaching the Prime Minister’s seat. To prevent any incident that could undermine parliamentary decorum, Birla requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the session and thanked him for accepting the advice.
As reported by The Hindu, the Speaker’s decision was based on “definite information” about planned opposition protests. The House was adjourned after women opposition MPs walked across the aisle holding banners in front of the Prime Minister’s seat, protesting remarks made by a BJP MP against former Congress Prime Ministers. The Speaker also reprimanded opposition members for their conduct in his chamber following the adjournment.
As highlighted by Hindustan Times, Om Birla explained to the House that his intervention was necessary to uphold the dignity of the institution. He described the potential incident as one that could have “completely destroyed the democratic tradition of the country.” The Speaker’s remarks came after opposition MPs charged towards the Prime Minister’s seat, leading to the adjournment.
As noted in an article by The Indian Express, the motion was passed amid a din, with the House being adjourned multiple times throughout the day. When the House reconvened, Speaker Om Birla put the motion to a voice vote, and it was adopted without the Prime Minister’s reply. The opposition’s protest included marching towards the treasury benches with banners referencing a line from an unpublished book by former Army chief General M M Naravane.
Further details indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were not present when the motion was put to vote. The opposition’s protest centered on the denial of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s right to speak, particularly after he was stopped from referring to General Naravane’s memoir.
“When the Leader of the House was to reply (to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address), I had concrete information that many members of the Congress party could carry out an unexpected act by reaching the spot where the prime minister sits,” Speaker Om Birla said, as cited in multiple sources.
Analysis showed that this was the first time since 2004 that the Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address without the Prime Minister’s reply. The previous instance occurred when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was prevented from replying due to protests.
Opposition MPs continued their protest throughout the day as coverage revealed, with disruptions beginning from the morning session. Women MPs from opposition parties held banners in front of the Prime Minister’s seat, and the session was repeatedly adjourned due to the uproar.
The sequence of events leading to the adjournment and the passing of the motion without the Prime Minister’s reply was further detailed at the end of the day, as Congress MPs marched towards the treasury benches with banners and slogans. The standoff between the opposition and the ruling alliance deepened, with both sides accusing each other of disrupting parliamentary proceedings.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.