TAWANG, Feb 16: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is deliberately disrupting Parliament and lacks interest in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House. He claimed that certain NGOs have “misguided” Gandhi into believing the Congress will soon regain political ground, prompting continued confrontations in the Lok Sabha.
Speaking to PTI during his visit to Arunachal West constituency, Rijiju said the Centre has made several efforts to restore order but will not take any additional steps to “appease” the Congress. “Multiple attempts were made to engage with senior Congress leaders, including K.C. Venugopal, to ensure proceedings run smoothly. However, those efforts did not yield results,” he stated.
The minister maintained that disruptions were politically motivated and asserted that the ruling alliance is not concerned about the Opposition’s tactics. According to him, smaller parties in Parliament are dissatisfied as frequent adjournments prevent them from utilising their allotted speaking time. He further claimed that some opposition members have privately expressed a desire for normal proceedings.
The first phase of the Budget Session witnessed repeated adjournments after Gandhi was prevented from citing an article referencing excerpts from former Army chief M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir concerning the 2020 India–China standoff. Subsequently, eight opposition MPs were suspended for alleged unruly conduct.
The Opposition also moved a no confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of partisanship. The Speaker later stepped aside from presiding duties shortly after the motion was submitted.
The Budget Session began on January 28 with the President’s address and saw the presentation of the Union Budget 2026 on February 1. Proceedings were adjourned on February 12 and are scheduled to resume on March 9, concluding on April 2.