Stormy first leg of budget session ends, LS to resume on March 9

The first part of the Budget session concluded on Friday amid a series of dramatic disruptions, heated exchanges, and political confrontations. The Lok Sabha will now go on a three-week recess and reassemble on March 9, allowing parliamentary standing committees to scrutinize allocations to various central ministries in the Union Budget.

The session, which began on January 28 with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament, quickly turned turbulent. From February 2 onwards, repeated adjournments reflected the deepening friction between the government and Opposition over multiple issues.

One of the central flashpoints was the India-US interim trade deal , with opposition parties accusing the government of failing to safeguard national interests. The tension escalated when the Chair disallowed Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from quoting excerpts of former Army Chief M M Naravane’s unpublished memoir relating to the India-China conflict of 2020. Gandhi insisted on raising concerns before Budget discussions, prompting noisy protests and frequent interruptions.

The disruptions reached a peak when Opposition members raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Puri , forcing a one-hour adjournment. Seven Congress and one CPI-M member were suspended for the remainder of the session for unruly behavior, which included climbing on officials’ tables and throwing torn papers.

Fearing further disruptions, Speaker Om Birla requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to refrain from attending the House when responding to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address. The prime minister later participated in the Rajya Sabha debate instead. The Opposition also submitted a notice seeking Birla’s removal as Speaker, a resolution expected to come up when the session resumes on March 9.

Despite the chaos, Parliament managed to pass a Bill amending the Industrial Relations Code , aimed at clarifying legal provisions and preventing complications related to laws replaced under the 2020 Code.

The first leg of the Budget session highlighted not only the political divides in the Lok Sabha but also the challenges of maintaining parliamentary decorum amid sensitive debates on national security, trade, and governance. The second part of the session, beginning March 9, is expected to see renewed debate over these conflicts and the Budget allocations.