PM’s absence from Lok Sabha not due to any threat from us, it was an act of fear: Congress women MPs write to Speaker Birla

Writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, women MPs of the Congress party, on Monday (February 9, 2026), stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President, was not due to any threat from them [women MPs]. Instead, they said, it was an act of fear as the Prime Minister does not have the courage to face the Opposition.

Karur MP S. Jothimani’s letter further noted that the women are being “targeted simply because we have consistently fought against Prime Minister Narender Modi’s anti-people government and demanded accountability from him.” The letter, signed by six MPs including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, R. Sudha, Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, comes on the heels of grave allegations by the Speaker.

Parliament Budget Session updates on February 9, 2026

Mr. Birla on Thursday (February 5, 2026) said that he had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the Lower House to deliver his response to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address since he had “concrete information” that many Congress MPs could carry out an “unexpected act” of protest at the PM’s seat.

In their letter, the MPs alleged that Mr. Birla has been forced by the ruling party to “make false, baseless, and defamatory allegations against women Members of Parliament belonging to the Opposition, particularly from the Indian National Congress.”

The MPs also said that the Leader of Opposition has been “deliberately denied” the opportunity to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. Lok Sabha has been witnessing disruptions since February 3 after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was disallowed by the chair from quoting from an article based on excerpts of former Army chief M M Naravane’s ‘unpublished memoir’ in which he has referred to the India-China conflict of 2020.

The letter went on to note that “eight members of Parliament from the INDIA alliance were suspended on the behest of the ruling party and a BJP Member of Parliament was permitted to speak in a vulgar and obscene manner about former Prime Ministers.”

“When we met you, we demanded justice and the suspension of the above-mentioned BJP MP, you acknowledged that a grave mistake had occurred and asked us to return at 4 pm. Upon meeting you again, you stated that you were awaiting the government’s response regarding the issue, indicating that you are no longer the decision maker in such matters. This raises serious questions regarding your authority as Speaker of the House. Subsequently, at 5 pm, violating conventional procedure, the Prime Minister was scheduled to speak in the Lok Sabha. All members of the INDIA alliance rose in protest and the Prime Minister failed to appear in the house,” the letter added.

Amply clear that Speaker is under sustained pressure from the ruling party

The women MPs further wrote: “Our protests have been unrelentingly peaceful, firm, and entirely within democratic norms. Most of us come from humble backgrounds and many are first generation politicians. Our journeys have been built from decades of hard work among the people, facing resistance and discrimination. Questioning our integrity is a grievous attack on every woman who earns her place in public life with dignity and courage.”

Alleging that it is “amply clear that you [Speaker] are under sustained pressure from the ruling party,” the MPs urged Mr. Birla to act as the impartial custodian of the Lok Sabha.