Jairam Ramesh Shares Manmohan Singh Video Amid Lok Sabha Deadlock
NEW DELHI (TheTrendingPeople): Amid the ongoing controversy over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi being stopped from speaking in the Lok Sabha and the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday shared old videos of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to highlight a similar incident from 2004.
Ramesh claimed that the BJP had earlier blocked Manmohan Singh from replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in June 2004.
Reference to 2004 Incident
In a series of posts on X, Ramesh shared a clip of Manmohan Singh’s 2005 speech, in which the former Prime Minister referred to being unable to speak in Parliament the previous year.
Quoting Singh, Ramesh recalled him saying:
“Mr. Speaker, Sir, I deem it a great privilege to be standing here today to express the gratitude of our Government to the respected Rashtrapatiji.”
Ramesh argued that the ruling party’s criticism of the Opposition over recent disruptions was “selective” and ignored past precedents.
Disruption in Lok Sabha
The current standoff intensified on Wednesday when several women Opposition MPs rushed towards the Prime Minister’s seat with protest banners.This is the video of Dr Manmohan Singh’s speech on March 10 2005 - where he refers to the fact that he was prevented from replying to the Motion of Thanks on June 10, 2004 https://t.co/RyDSwhkMzG pic.twitter.com/uJNfgne78Z
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 5, 2026
They were protesting against the recent US trade deal and the controversy surrounding former Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane’s unpublished book.
Prime Minister Modi was not present in the House at the time.
The disruption occurred around 5 pm, when Modi was scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks. BJP MP P P Chaudhary was speaking when Opposition members entered the Well of the House.
Despite efforts by Chair Sandhya Rai to restore order, proceedings were adjourned, and Modi’s address was cancelled.
Origin of the Row
The controversy began on Monday when Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from an unpublished book while speaking in Parliament.
He sought to raise issues related to the 2020 India-China confrontation in Ladakh. However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah objected, calling the source unverified.
They urged him not to refer to unconfirmed material during official proceedings.
Suspensions and Political Fallout
Tensions further escalated on Tuesday after eight Opposition MPs—seven from Congress and one from CPI(M)—were suspended for the remainder of the Budget session for unruly behaviour.
The suspensions have deepened the deadlock between the government and the Opposition.
While Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to speak in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, his Lok Sabha address remains cancelled, with the Motion of Thanks already passed.
The sharing of Manmohan Singh’s old speech by Jairam Ramesh has added a historical dimension to the current parliamentary standoff. With both sides accusing each other of undermining democratic norms, the Budget session continues under a cloud of disruption and political tension.
Whether the impasse will ease in the coming days remains uncertain.
Our Final Thoughts
The latest episode highlights how parliamentary disputes often revive old political memories and precedents. While disruptions have occurred under different governments, repeated deadlocks weaken legislative functioning.
For democracy to function effectively, dialogue and restraint from both the ruling party and the Opposition remain essential.