The Rajya Sabha witnessed intense exchanges as the Leader of the House strongly countered the opposition’s allegations that democracy is under threat and discussions are being blocked. Addressing the Chair and the House, the government clarified that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, it is fully prepared for discussion on every issue, at any time, and in every forum as per parliamentary rules. Responding to claims raised through Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the House said that the Prime Minister was present and ready to reply in the Lok Sabha, but proceedings were not allowed to continue. He underlined that repeated assertions suggesting the government avoids debate are misleading and factually incorrect. Referring to the discussion on the President’s Address, he pointed out that the Leader of the Opposition was allowed to speak beyond the allotted time in a healthy democratic atmosphere. The government also cited examples from the Rajya Sabha, including the Indo–US trade issue, where a statement was promptly made by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in accordance with the Chair’s ruling. The ruling side firmly rejected the narrative that democracy is being weakened, calling such remarks irresponsible and unfounded.


