PM ‘hiding behind’ Speaker; claims of threat an ‘absolute lie,’ says Congress

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “hiding behind” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday, February 5, 2026, dismissed as an “absolute lie” the claim that Opposition members were planning to harm Mr. Modi.

“If you allow your members to quote books, talk nonsense, the Opposition benches will protest. Sorry, the Prime Minister is hiding behind the Speaker… because three women were standing in front of his dais, what nonsense is this,” Ms. Vadra told reporters outside the House.

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Mr Birla’s remarks came after he said in the Lok Sabha that he had asked the Prime Minister not to address the House of Representatives following “concrete information” that some Congress MPs might take “unexpected action” near his seat.

Mrs Gandhi said the government made the Speaker “say all this” because the Prime Minister “did not have the courage to come to the House”.

“This is a complete lie. There is no question of anyone raising their hands against the Prime Minister, trying to harm him or anything like that… There is no such plan,” he added.

Ms. Vadra urged the media to ask the government why Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak and whether there was any basis to prevent him from quoting a public source.

Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the BJP of insulting Dalit MP Varsha Gaikwad by slandering her conduct.

“Are the Modi government and its compliant journalists uncomfortable with a Dalit woman MP standing up? Do they consider them untouchable?” Mr Khera asked in a post on X:

Suspended Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who targeted the Prime Minister as a weak person in his post on

Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi said in a social media post, “There was so much panic over the questions? Modi ji, who was so afraid of the truth, took shelter in lies. Well, he did what seemed right.”