Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla revealed on Thursday that he advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abstain from attending the Lok Sabha on February 4, fearing "unpleasant scenes" stemming from the opposition's conduct. This decision was made after witnessing what Birla described as "unprecedented" behavior from Congress members during the previous day's proceedings. Birla stated he had received specific intelligence suggesting that Congress MPs were planning to approach the Prime Minister in an unexpected manner.

Birla addressed the House, explaining that he had been informed of a potential "unexpected act" by several Congress MPs, who allegedly intended to approach the Prime Minister's seat. He emphasized that such an incident would have severely compromised the democratic traditions of the country. To prevent any untoward incident and uphold the dignity of the House, he requested the Prime Minister to avoid attending the sitting. Birla thanked Modi for agreeing to his request, which he believed prevented "unpleasant scenes".

The Speaker described the behavior of some members during Wednesday's proceedings as a "black spot" and warned that bringing posters and pamphlets into the House would not be tolerated. He signaled an official probe into the disruptions.

According to Birla, the events of Wednesday included Congress MPs surrounding the Prime Minister's chair in a tense standoff. He recounted the pandemonium, stating that he feared the chaos could lead to "ugly scenes". Women MPs from the opposition had marched towards the treasury benches holding banners. One banner read "Jo uchit samjho wo karo (do whatever you think is right)," a quote from former Army Chief General MM Naravane's memoir, allegedly referencing the government's response to the 2020 China border crisis.

The Congress party has dismissed Birla's claims. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called Birla's claim of a threat to the PM as an "absolute lie". She alleged that the government was manipulating the Speaker because the Prime Minister lacked the "courage" to face the House. Gandhi Vadra further claimed that Prime Minister Modi was "hiding behind" the Speaker.

The tensions between the Congress and the government have been escalating since February 2, after the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane in the Lok Sabha. Rahul Gandhi alleged that the book revealed how the Army was deserted by the political leadership during the 2020 China border crisis.