Amid opposition sloganeering in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi hits Kharge with 'can chant while sitting' jibe

PM Modi's speech was met with mass sloganeering from the opposition.

Updated on: Feb 5, 2026, 21:03:20 IST

By HT News Desk

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a jibe at Congress president and leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. The PM's swipe at Kharge came as he delivered his motion of thanks on the president's address.

PM Modi took a jibe at Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha. (Sansad TV)

Modi's speech was met with mass sloganeering from the opposition. As house speaker and Vice President C Radhakrishnan called for decorum, the prime minister took a jibe at Kharge and called on him to "sit and chant." Follow LIVE updates on the Parliament session here.

"Looking at the age of Kharge ji, I urge you, the Chairman, to let him sit and sloganeer so that he faces no discomfort. There are young people at the back. So, please permit Kharge ji to sloganeer even while sitting," said Modi.

Shortly after his remarks, the opposition increased their sloganeering and walked out of the proceedings.

PM Modi's address in the Rajya Sabha comes after he skipped his speech in the Lok Sabha. As per speaker Om Birla, the prime minister was asked not to come to the house proceedings after it was learnt that Congress MP's had allegedly planned to surround the PM's chair.

"When the leader of the house was supposed to give his response to the President's address, I got concrete information that several members of the Congress party were planning to go to the PM's chair and do something unexpected. I saw the event too. If it would have happened, the incident would have been very appalling and completely destroyed the democratic tradition of the country," claimed Om Birla during Thursday's proceedings.

"So it was my responsibility to then ensure that PM Modi does not come to the house," he added further.

With PM Modi skipping the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu's speech was passed without a reply in the joint session.

This marked the first time since 2004 that a President's speech had been passed without a Motion of Thanks from the sitting prime minister.

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