Karnataka CM Slams PM Modi for Skipping Parliament Reply, Calls it 'Act of Cowardice'

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for skipping his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address to Parliament, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called it an “act of cowardice”. He also criticised the conduct of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, while contending that the developments in Parliament were part of a larger pattern to weaken constitutional offices in the country. In a post on X, the CM said on Monday, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address is an act of cowardice. For the first time in India’s parliamentary history, this motion was passed without the Prime Minister replying. A Prime Minister who avoids Parliament avoids accountability.” The episode was made even more disturbing as the Government first silenced the Opposition and then chose to silence itself, the CM said. He highlighted that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to complete his speech when he raised national security concerns and sought to place on record a book by former Army chief General M M Naravane. Referring to the assertions made in the book, Siddaramaiah said that Modi did not want Parliament to examine his “evasive leadership”. As per the book, he said, the prime minister’s purported direction for the Army chief during the China border crisis was simply, “ Jo uchit samjho, woh karo (do whatever you deem appropriate)”. “In doing so, the Opposition, which represents a majority of the people of India, was denied its rightful voice,” he said. Accusing Birla of “partisan conduct”, the CM said the Speaker had “justified this unprecedented departure from parliamentary convention…”. “The Speaker is meant to defend Parliament, not act as a shield for the executive,” he said. Siddaramaiah said Parliament becomes meaningless when the Opposition is silenced and the prime minister “runs away” from it. “This is part of a larger BJP–RSS pattern—weakening Parliament, abusing constitutional offices and hollowing out India’s democratic institutions,” he added.