On Saturday, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that around 40-50 Opposition MPs had barged into the chamber of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and spoke disrespectfully just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to deliver his scheduled speech in the House during the Budget Session 2026.

Rijiju was speaking at a press conference at the BJP’s Bihar headquarters when he gave these details. He claimed that he was personally present inside the Speaker’s chamber at the time of the incident. Because of the behaviour of these Opposition MPs, he added, the government decided it would be better if the Prime Minister did not come to the Lok Sabha to speak.

According to him, the group of Opposition MPs had stormed into the Speaker’s chamber and “spoke in a nasty way” just before the prime minister’s scheduled reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, which is a key part of the budget session proceedings.

Replying to questions about why the Prime Minister was absent from the Lok Sabha during this important debate, Rijiju said, “We are in power and have sufficient numerical strength. We could have muscled our way through the proceedings by making use of marshals. But we did not want to do that. And therefore, we found a way around the problem.”

He further explained the government’s thinking, “We took a different decision in Lok Sabha after 40-50 opposition MPs barged into the Speaker’s chamber and spoke nastily. I was present there. We realised that they were itching to create trouble and it would be better if the Prime Minister stayed away.”

Rijiju noted that this decision was taken solely to avoid confrontation and trouble in the Lok Sabha, and not because the government was uncomfortable or afraid of the Opposition. He specifically pointed out that Prime Minister Modi still spoke at length in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament, on the same day.

The Opposition MPs’ protest in the Lok Sabha has been widely discussed, with heated exchanges and disruptions occurring in the House over the debate on the Motion of Thanks and other issues. These oppositional actions have continued to draw sharp criticism from the ruling party’s leaders, including Rijiju.

Rijiju made it clear that the ruling side had numerical strength and control of the House, and that was why they did not want to use marshals or other measures to push through the proceedings forcefully. He said that choosing not to have the Prime Minister attend the session was a more practical and calmer alternative given the tense situation in the chamber.

His comments highlight ongoing tensions in Parliament between the government side and the Opposition, especially during major sessions where important debates and speeches are expected. This particular incident, involving disruption in the Speaker’s chamber, was cited by the minister as the main reason for the unusual situation of the Prime Minister’s absence from the Lok Sabha address.

Kiren Rijiju blamed the Opposition for what happened and justified the government’s decision by stressing that it was meant to avoid further disorder. He insisted that the prime minister’s full speech in the Rajya Sabha ensured that the government’s position and policies were still presented during the budget session.