Congress President and leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, called PM Modi's speech lousy. He denounced Modi's remarks on the alleged hatred against Sikhism by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, owing to Gandhi's traitor comment on MP Ravinder Singh Bittu. The Opposition MPs raised slogans, including "tanashahi nahi chalegi", "Let LoP Speak" and "we will not tolerate insults", as Modi began his speech in the upper house on February 5.
The prime minister continued his speech amid the sloganeering and also took a jibe at Kharge, saying, "Considering his age, he can sit and raise slogans". Opposition MPs soon after staged a walkout from the House, and came out of the Makar Dwar of the Parliament building, raising slogans. The Motion of Thanks to the President's address was passed in the Lok Sabha without a customary reply by the Prime Minister. Talking to the media outside Parliament, Kharge said, "They are not allowing us to speak. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are two pillars of democracy, you cannot destroy one, and speak in the other", he said.