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Parliament Adjourned Amid Protests And Speaker No-Confidence Plans

Parliament adjourned repeatedly amid opposition protests and calls for Speaker accountability.

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On 9 February 2026, both houses of the Indian Parliament were adjourned multiple times following persistent opposition protests. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha experienced disruptions over issues including the right of opposition leaders to speak, alleged government inaction, and broader concerns about parliamentary procedure. The Speaker and Chairpersons cited disorder and repeated interruptions as reasons for the adjournments, with proceedings set to reconvene later in the day.

According to The Hindu, the Lok Sabha was adjourned twice after opposition members demanded that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak. Speaker Om Birla stated that all members would have the opportunity to speak according to the rules, but adjourned the House when protests continued. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned by Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan amid similar disruptions.

As reported by The Indian Express, the ongoing session has seen heightened tensions, with opposition parties raising procedural questions and seeking accountability from the government. The Prime Minister’s Office recently cited parliamentary rules to bar certain questions, further fueling opposition concerns about transparency and the scope of parliamentary oversight.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have indicated plans to move a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla. Coverage revealed that this was discussed at a meeting of the INDIA bloc, with Congress MP K.C. Venugopal alleging that opposition leaders were not being allowed to air their views in the House. The Congress also claimed there was “no space for Opposition” in the Lok Sabha.

Disruptions were not limited to the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, opposition MPs raised slogans and interrupted the speech of the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. Following reports, the Chairman reiterated that issues pertaining to the Lok Sabha could not be discussed in the Rajya Sabha, leading to further protests and adjournment.

“His statement comes as the Lok Sabha was adjourned twice today without the House extracting much business.”

Midway through the session, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked that it appeared neither the government nor the Speaker was interested in running Parliament. Analysis showed that Speaker Om Birla cited 19 hours and 13 minutes of wasted time due to disruptions in the current session, expressing concern over the lack of productive debate.

At the end of the morning session, the Lok Sabha was adjourned after opposition members continued to demand that Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak. Details emerged that the House would reconvene at noon, with further proceedings dependent on the resolution of ongoing disputes between the government and opposition benches.

Calls for introspection on the conduct of parliamentary politics have also been raised outside the chambers. As noted in an article by The Hindu, Sudheendra Kulkarni urged leaders of all parties to reflect on the direction of Indian democracy and the declining quality of parliamentary debate, highlighting the need for renewed commitment to democratic values.

“He also expressed concern over the declining quality of parliamentary debates, and said that Bills requiring serious debates were being passed after the suspension of 140 MPs, without much discussion in the Parliament.”

In summary, the latest developments indicate that Parliament’s functioning remains hampered by persistent protests, adjournments, and unresolved disputes over procedural fairness and the rights of opposition members. Reporting indicated that further adjournments are possible if consensus is not reached on key issues.

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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.

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