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'PM Modi's absence an act of fear': Congress women MPs write to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla
Congress women MPs have rejected claims their protests threatened PM Modi, calling his absence an act of fear.
A group of Congress women Members of Parliament has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, rejecting allegations that their protest created a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserting that his absence from the House during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address was “an act of fear”.
In a letter, the MPs described the Speaker’s remarks against women Opposition members as “false, baseless, and defamatory”, and accused the government of denying the Opposition its parliamentary rights. The letter was led by MP S Jothimani and signed by several women parliamentarians.
The controversy follows unprecedented disruptions in the Lok Sabha last week, during which the Prime Minister did not deliver his scheduled reply to the debate on the President’s Address.
It marked the first such instance in 22 years that a Prime Minister could not respond to the debate in the Lower House. The Motion of Thanks was later passed by voice vote amid repeated adjournments.
Speaker Om Birla had said he received “reliable information” that some Congress MPs might reach the Prime Minister’s seat and cause “unexpected incidents” when Modi was scheduled to speak. He also criticised Opposition members for their conduct and said he advised the Prime Minister not to come to the House at that time.
Congress leaders strongly disputed the claim. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Prime Minister was “hiding behind the Speaker” and accused the government of avoiding discussion. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said on social media that the Prime Minister “took refuge in lies” because he was afraid of the truth.
In their letter, the women MPs told Birla that their protests were peaceful and within democratic norms. “His absence from the House was not due to any threat from us, it was an act of fear. He did not have the courage to face the Opposition,” they wrote.
They also expressed concern that the Speaker’s office was being pressured by the ruling party and said the Chair must remain impartial. The MPs alleged that Rahul Gandhi had been repeatedly denied an opportunity to speak during the debate, calling it “unprecedented and indefensible”.
The letter further referred to the suspension of eight Opposition MPs earlier in the week and objected to what it called selective action in allowing a BJP MP to make objectionable remarks about former Prime Ministers while penalising Opposition members.
Opposition protests have centred on demands that Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak about former Army chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir and related issues on India–China relations. The Speaker had disallowed references to a media article on the book, citing House rules, a move backed by senior ministers.
