Budget Session day-5:NDA meeting in Parliament complex today; Rahul Gandhi’s reference to Ex-Army chief’s unpublished memoir triggers LS uproar

Tuesday is the fifth day of Parliament’s Budget Session. The Lok Sabha is likely to remain disrupted today. On Monday, a heated exchange took place during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address while Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was speaking. Quoting an unpublished book by former Army Chief General Naravane, Rahul Gandhi claimed that four Chinese tanks had reached the Ladakh border on August 31, 2020. As he made this claim, he was first interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and later by Home Minister Amit Shah. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla then intervened, citing parliamentary rules. During his speech, Rahul Gandhi was interrupted 11 times by Rajnath Singh, seven times by Amit Shah, twice by Kiren Rijiju, and six times by Anurag Thakur. Meanwhile, a meeting of NDA MPs is scheduled for today. Members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet on the Parliament House campus, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address them. Discussion on these bills possible in the Budget Session The Budget Session will comprise 30 sittings over 65 days and is scheduled to conclude on April 2. The first phase, which started on January 28, will continue until February 13. The second phase will begin on March 9. At present, nine bills are pending in the Lok Sabha. These include the Developing India Education Foundation Bill 2025, the Securities Markets Code 2025, and the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill 2024. The bills are being reviewed by parliamentary standing or select committees. Read the proceedings of the past 4 days of Budget Session January 28: President delivers a 45-minute speech, mentions Operation Sindoor and VB-G Ram Ji law issues The Budget Session of Parliament began with President Draupadi Murmu’s address. In her 45-minute speech, she spoke about Operation Sindoor, the VB-G Ram Ji law, and India’s role in global affairs. She said that 150 Vande Bharat trains are now running across the country. India is moving quickly towards building its own space station. She also said that the free trade agreement with the European Union will strengthen the services and manufacturing sectors and create more jobs for young people. January 29: The country’s “economic report card” was presented in Parliament, and the Prime Minister said, “Our reform express has started moving” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the country’s Economic Survey in the Lok Sabha, which projected GDP growth of 6.8% to 7.2% for the 2026–27 financial year. Speaking to the media outside Parliament, the Prime Minister said the government’s focus has been on reform, performance and transformation, and added that the “reform express” has now begun. February 1: Budget 2026–27 presented; defence budget raised by 15% after Operation Sindoor, income tax unchanged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget on Sunday. In her 85-minute speech in Parliament, she made no major announcements for ordinary people, but spoke about easier tax filing, new railway projects, and three new Ayurvedic AIIMS. February 2: Rahul Gandhi said Chinese tanks reached Ladakh; Shah, Rajnath interrupted, mic switched off A major uproar broke out in the Lok Sabha during Rahul Gandhi’s speech on Monday. Quoting an unpublished book by former Army Chief General Naravane, he said four Chinese tanks had reached the Ladakh border. He was immediately interrupted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, after which the Speaker stopped him, citing parliamentary rules. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi’s Doklam remark sparks ruckus