Rahul Gandhi-Centre Showdown Over Ladakh Escalates, 8 Congress MPs Suspended

Chaos consumed Parliament Tuesday after Congress Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi tried, for a second consecutive day, to read out excerpts from ex-Army chief General MM Naravane's unpublished book, including sections about the 2020 India-China military stand-off in Ladakh.

Denied permission, opposition MPs - some of whom refused to speak when asked to, in solidarity with Gandhi - protested, eventually leading to the Lok Sabha adjourning for the day.

There were also reports of MPs throwing pieces of paper at Speaker Om Birla.

Following the ruckus eight Congress MPs, including Hibi Eden, Amarinder Raja Warring, and Manickam Tagor, were suspended for the remainder of the session. Warring spoke to NDTV and said, "Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak... even though he had authenticated the document and submitted it to the House. We protested against this and tore up the papers. Is this a crime demanding suspension?"

BJP MP Anurag Thakur slammed Gandhi for having "insulted democracy and Parliament".

"He had just one intention... to insult Indian soldiers. That is the only agenda the Congress is left with. After a fantastic budget was presented (on Sunday) the opposition was left with nothing else to say. And so, pieces of paper were torn and thrown at the Chair," Thakur said.

"What can be a bigger misfortune than this? An individual who doesn't know that permission needs to be obtained from the Speaker or Chairman to speak... look at the arrogance. This is the arrogance of one party and one family. This is the intoxication of power..."

#WATCH | BJP MP Anurag Thakur says, "From 2014 to 2026, Government has held discussions on all issues with an open mind. A good discussion was ongoing on President's Address in the Parliament today as well. But LoP Rahul Gandhi insulted democracy and Parliament...He had just one… pic.twitter.com/AnvURwBJjt

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2026

The BJP will file a formal complaint asking for strict action against the suspended MPs.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, minutes after chaos inside, Gandhi accused the ruling BJP of trying to "silence" him as he tried to speak on the India-China border issue.

What happened on Monday

On Monday the Speaker had denied permission citing a violation of the rules.

And senior ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh countered, leading to a spirited protest by opposition MPs that forced multiple adjournments.

READ | 'Rules Don't Prohibit But...': Sources On Rahul Gandhi Book Row

Government sources later told NDTV Gandhi had, in fact, been in violation of House rules since he did not have prior permission to read unpublished material into the record.

When Parliament resumed this morning, the Congress leader raised the issue again, this time confirming he had 'authenticated' the information, i.e., signed a statement saying the content is true, to the best of his information, but was still not allowed to read out the excerpts.

RECAP | Rahul Gandhi vs Rajnath Singh Over Ex-Army Chief's Book On Ladakh

"I have authenticated the article on China... now why is the government scared of this book?" Rahul Gandhi asked, shouting, "You can't stop the Leader of the Opposition from speaking."

Gandhi claimed he was not being given 'permission' to speak as the Speaker then moved on to other MPs, though, in a 'I'm Spartacus' moment, two opposition parliamentarians - from the Samajwadi Pary and Trinamool Congress - refused to speak as a sign of solidarity.

Rahul Gandhi targets India-US deal

Meanwhile, in his trademark white T-shirt and beige slacks, Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the lack of clarity surrounding the US trade deal. He demanded to know how a complex trade agreement, which had been stuck for several months, was finalised overnight.

The Prime Minister, Gandhi said, had "sold out" the Indian farmers, referring to roadblocks over access to the country's price-sensitive agriculture and dairy markets.

"Modiji is rattled... India-US trade deal stalled for the past few months... was signed last night (but) there is extreme pressure on him... our PM is compromised. Oublic needs to think about this. Modiji sold your hard work... sold the country. He is scared because those who shaped his image are breaking it..."

READ | "Unlocks Immense Opportunities": PM "Thanks" Trump After Tariff Cut

However, this morning top goverment sources told NDTV the deal does not compromise Indian farmers. Sources said sensitive sectors - agriculture and dairy - will continue to be protected.

READ | "Farmers Protected...": Sources On India-US Deal And Oil Buying Implication

Greater US access to these markets had been a point of contention.

Prior to Trump's surprise announcement last night, the India-US trade deal had stalled repeatedly over American farmers being allowed to sell their products in the country.

But on Monday Trump and Modi spoke on the phone, after which it emerged the two countries had agreed to a deal that will see Washington slash tariff son Indian goods - from 50 per cent to 18 per cent - in exchange for Delhi halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers.

Trump also said Modi had also committed to buying US$500 billion in American energy, tech, coal, and agricultural products. Neither side has released any detail about these commitments.

A furious Congress has demanded complete details of the deal.