New Delhi: India's Parliament faced significant disruptions on Monday, February 9, 2026, the ninth day of its Budget Session. The Lok Sabha adjourned for the day after a prolonged stand-off between the government and opposition, primarily over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's demand to speak before discussions on the Union Budget 2026-27 began. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha held discussions on the budget, with debates scheduled to continue in both Houses on Tuesday.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} ### Lok Sabha Stalls Over Speech Demand The Lok Sabha experienced multiple adjournments throughout Monday, February 9, due to persistent protests and sloganeering by opposition members.^{[6][7][2][4][5]} The main point of contention was Rahul Gandhi's insistence on speaking on certain issues before the general discussion on the Union Budget could commence.^{[1][7][2][4][5]} Gandhi claimed that Speaker Om Birla had personally assured him he would be allowed to speak.^{[7][2][8][4][5]} However, Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair during later proceedings, stated she had not received any formal notice regarding this.^[7][8][5] Earlier in the day, when the House convened at 11 AM, opposition members immediately began raising slogans and demanding to speak.^[6][4] Speaker Om Birla initially presided over the proceedings, urging members to allow the House to function and suggesting issues could be raised during the budget debate.^[2][4][5] Despite his appeals, the disruptions continued, leading to an initial adjournment until noon.^[6][2][4][5] When the Lok Sabha reassembled at noon, the pandemonium persisted.^[6][2][4][5] Ministers tabled papers and committee reports amidst continued protests.^[6][5] The presiding officer, P.C. Mohan, repeatedly tried to restore order, but his efforts were unsuccessful.^[6] Later, when the House met at 2 PM after a second adjournment, Sandhya Ray, in the Chair, called Congress member Shashi Tharoor to initiate the budget debate.^[2][4][5] Tharoor, however, requested that Gandhi be allowed to speak first.^[2][4][5] As the stand-off continued, the House was ultimately adjourned for the entire day.^{[1][2][8][4][5]} ### Rajya Sabha Debates Budget In contrast to the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha successfully took up the general discussion on the Union Budget 2026-27 on Monday, February 9.^[1][3] Congress MP P. Chidambaram initiated the debate, raising concerns about India's economic growth rate.^[3][9] He pointed out that the nominal growth rate in 2023-24 was 12%, but it decreased to 9.8% in 2024-25 and further to 8% in 2025-26.^[3] Chidambaram also highlighted that the fiscal deficit for 2025-26 stood at 4.4%, with only a slight projected reduction to 4.3% the following year.^[3] He stressed the importance of eliminating the revenue deficit, which he noted was 1.5% for both the current and next fiscal years.^[3] BJP MP Arun Singh participated in the discussion, emphasizing the significant increase in the budget size, which he stated had tripled to 53 lakh crore rupees compared to over 16 lakh crore rupees during the previous UPA rule.^[3] Singh also highlighted substantial allocations for housing for the poor and direct transfers to farmers, totaling over 4 lakh crore rupees.^[3] He noted a 42% increase in budgetary allocation to Viksit Bharat Gram Yojana over the MNREGA allotment from the previous year.^[3] Other MPs, including Sanjay Kumar Jha of JD(U), Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal of AAP, Jaya Bachchan of Samajwadi Party, and G.K. Vasan of TMC(M), also contributed to the debate.^[3] The discussion remained inconclusive, and after completing its scheduled business, the Upper House adjourned until 11 AM on Tuesday, February 10.^[3] ### Budget Session Context and Upcoming Discussions The current Budget Session of Parliament, which commenced on January 28, 2026, is a crucial period for India's financial planning.^{[10][11][12][13]} Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026.^{[1][10][12][5][13]} The first phase of the session is scheduled to conclude on February 13, 2026, before a recess.^{[11][12][8][13]} Beyond the budget, earlier disruptions in the Lok Sabha involved protests over the India-U.S. trade deal and the Speaker disallowing Rahul Gandhi from quoting an article related to an unpublished memoir of a former Army chief.^[1][6][7] Opposition parties have been pressing for debates on various matters throughout the session.^[14] ### No-Confidence Motion Filed as Budget Debate Continues On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, both Houses of Parliament are scheduled to resume discussions on the Union Budget.^[15][16][13] However, the political tensions escalated significantly with opposition parties submitting a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.^{[17][15][18][16][9]} This motion, signed by 118 opposition MPs, though notably not by the Trinamool Congress, cites the Speaker's remarks against opposition members and the suspension of eight MPs as grounds.^[18][9] The Lok Sabha, on Tuesday, once again experienced multiple adjournments due to continued protests from opposition members.^{[17][7][15][18][9]} Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju openly accused the Congress of intentionally disrupting parliamentary business during this critical budget period.^[17][6][5] Rijiju stated that while other opposition parties were prepared to engage in constructive debate, the Congress was hindering the entire process.^[17][6][5] He emphasized that Parliament exists for debate and discussion, particularly during budget deliberations.^[17] Efforts are reportedly underway to resolve the ongoing deadlock in the Lok Sabha.^[18] The continuation of budget discussions and the newly introduced no-confidence motion against the Speaker set the stage for further intense exchanges and potential disruptions in the coming days of the Budget Session.^[15][18][16]

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