Kamal Ghorui
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
NEW DELHI: Women MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to take strict action against opposition MPs for allegedly committing “heinous acts” inside the House during last week’s proceedings.In their letter, the MPs praised the Speaker for maintaining order and decorum during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on February 4, but accused opposition of creating chaos.“We wish to express our profound gratitude and admiration for the exemplary manner in which you upheld and protected the dignity, decorum, and sanctity of the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Honourable President’s Address on February 4, 2026. On that day, the entire House, and indeed the entire nation, witnessed one of the most unfortunate and regrettable incidents inside the Lok Sabha chamber,” the letter stated.Detailing the alleged misconduct, the BJP MPs claimed that opposition MPs disrupted proceedings in an unprecedented manner.“We saw members of the opposition party not only entering the well of the House but also climbing onto the Speaker’s table, tearing up papers, and throwing them towards the Speaker. Furthermore, sadly, some Honourable women members, behaving aggressively and carrying banners and placards, crossed over to the other side. They not only surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat but also entered the Treasury benches where senior ministers sit,” the letter said.“Therefore, we urge you to take the strictest possible action, under the rules, against those opposition MPs who have committed such heinous acts within the House premises and brought disrepute to our democratic institution,” it added.The BJP MPs’ letter comes a day after women MPs from the Congress wrote to Birla accusing him of acting under pressure from the ruling party to justify Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the House.The controversy stems from Birla’s statement in the Lok Sabha last week that he had received “concrete information” suggesting that several Congress members might approach the Prime Minister’s seat and carry out an “unexpected act.” The Speaker said he had, therefore, requested the Prime Minister not to attend the House to deliver his reply to the Motion of Thanks.In their letter, Congress women MPs strongly objected to the Speaker’s remarks and accused him of making baseless allegations.“Clearly pressured by the ruling party to defend the non-appearance of the Prime Minister, the Speaker issued a statement making grave allegations against the women MPs of the party,” the Congress MPs said.“We are being targeted simply because we have consistently fought against Prime Minister Narender Modi’s anti-people government and demanded accountability from him. His absence from the House was not due to any threat from us, it was an act of fear,” the letter added.The Congress MPs further rejected any suggestion that they had planned to disrupt proceedings.“He (PM) did not have the courage to face the Opposition. We are Members of Parliament from the Indian National Congress, a party that stands for love, peace, constitutional values, and human dignity. We do not believe in violence and intimidation. We are brave women elected representatives who will not be silenced by intimidation,” the letter, signed by MPs including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyothimani, R Sudha, Varsha Gaikwad and Jyotsna Mahant, stated.“We believe that transparency is the only way to restore the dignity of the Speaker’s office and the credibility of this House,” it said.The Congress MPs also alleged bias in disciplinary action, pointing out that eight INDIA bloc MPs were suspended at the “behest of the ruling party,” while a BJP MP was allowed to speak in a “vulgar and obscene manner” about former prime ministers.
