Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday stated that a group of 20 to 25 Congress Members of Parliament stormed into Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s chamber, abused him, and issued threats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during last week’s confrontation between the Opposition and the government.
Rijiju shared what he described as an “illegally recorded” video of the incident on the social media platform X on Thursday morning. The clip, which was updated and reposted multiple times throughout the day, triggered a fresh political flashpoint amid continuing disruptions in Parliament and a war of words between the BJP and the Congress outside the House.
‘Illegal Video, Threats to PM’
Sharing the nine-second clip, Rijiju said the footage was secretly recorded by a Congress MP when several Opposition members entered the Speaker’s chamber.
“This is the illegal video clip taken by a Congress MP when 20–25 Congress MPs entered the Chamber of Hon’ble Speaker, abused him, and threatened Hon’ble Prime Minister. Our party believes in debate and discussion and never encourages MPs to threaten physically,” Rijiju wrote on X.
In the video, around a dozen Opposition MPs are seen gathered near the Speaker’s desk, speaking loudly and arguing with BJP ministers.
Rijiju claimed the clip showed Congress MPs verbally abusing the Speaker and making threatening remarks against the Prime Minister.
Earlier Videos and ‘Degrading Behaviour’ Claim
The latest footage comes days after Rijiju had posted another video alleging that Opposition MPs behaved in a “most degrading manner” inside the Lok Sabha and nearly provoked a physical confrontation.
He said BJP MPs were restrained at the time to prevent the situation from escalating into violence.
Trigger: Rahul Gandhi, Naravane Book Row
The confrontation traces its roots to last week’s controversy over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to quote from an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane, Four Stars of Destiny.
The book refers to the 2020 India-China standoff. Speaker Om Birla disallowed Gandhi from reading excerpts from the memoir in the House, citing parliamentary rules.
The ruling triggered protests by Opposition MPs and led to repeated disruptions.
February 4 Protest Near PM’s Seat
On February 4, women Congress MPs gathered near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seat minutes before he was scheduled to speak in the Lok Sabha.
They held a banner reading “Jo uchit samjho, wahin karo” (Do what you think is right), a reference to the Naravane memoir controversy.
The protest led to high drama and forced the adjournment of proceedings.
Rijiju later said that allowing BJP MPs to confront the protesters could have resulted in an “ugly scene”.
Rijiju Claims He Witnessed the Incident
In subsequent statements, Rijiju said he was personally present during the alleged confrontation inside the Speaker’s chamber.
He described Om Birla as a gentle and restrained presiding officer and said the Speaker could have taken stricter action.
He also claimed that senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal, were present and encouraged MPs during the confrontation.
Opposition Accuses Speaker of Bias
The Congress and other Opposition parties have accused Speaker Birla of being biased in favour of the government.
Earlier this week, Opposition MPs submitted a motion seeking his removal, calling him “blatantly partisan” and demanding that he step aside until the issue is resolved.
They also accused Birla of making misleading statements about recent developments in the House.
Disregard for Parliamentary Procedure:
Rijiju alleged that Congress MPs violated parliamentary norms by ignoring rulings of the Chair.
He said Rahul Gandhi had insisted on speaking without formal permission, bypassing established protocol.
“Even the Prime Minister requires the Speaker’s approval before addressing the House,” Rijiju said, stressing that debates must follow constitutional procedures.
Motion of Thanks Passed Without PM’s Reply
Parliamentary disruptions have continued since February 2, severely affecting legislative business.
On February 5, the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address was passed without Prime Minister Modi delivering his customary reply, an unusual development in parliamentary history.
Speaker Birla read out the motion amid persistent sloganeering by Opposition MPs.
BJP Slams Opposition, Cites Institutional Damage
The BJP has accused the Congress of attempting to weaken democratic institutions and undermine parliamentary dignity.
Party leaders said the motion against the Speaker was politically motivated and aimed at diverting attention from procedural violations by the Opposition.
Rijiju warned that such conduct could erode public faith in Parliament.
Political Fallout Continues
The controversy has intensified the standoff between the government and the Opposition during the ongoing Budget Session.
With competing claims over decorum, authority, and institutional integrity, the issue has sparked widespread political debate and media scrutiny.
At the time of reporting, the Congress party didn’t issue any official response to it.
As protests continue and political tempers flare, parliamentary functioning remains under strain.
