Morning Digest: Dramatic protests in Lok Sabha prevent PM’s reply to the motion of thanks; Every single genuine person must remain on electoral roll, CJI tells West Bengal CM in Supreme Court, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on February 5, 2026

The Lok Sabha had to be adjourned for the day amid high drama on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) as women MPs from Opposition parties walked across the aisle and held up banners in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s front row seat ahead of his customary reply to the Presidential Address. They were protesting a BJP MP’s allegations against former Congress PMs.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) told Parliament that the government had been successful in protecting the Indian agricultural and dairy sectors in the India-U.S. trade deal. Making a statement in both Houses, Mr. Goyal said the deal would help make India self-reliant and added that the labour-intensive sectors would receive a major boost in exports following the reduction in tariffs to 18%, which were earlier pegged at 50%.

The Congress on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) said the statement on the India–U.S. trade agreement made by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in Parliament lacked substance and clarity. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described it as a “non-statement”, arguing that it offered no concrete details as negotiations were still under way.

A sharp exchange of words between Lok Sabha Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu escalated into a political controversy on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), prompting BJP-led Sikh groups to protest outside the Congress office in the city by late afternoon.

On a day when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee argued in the Supreme Court against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) currently underway in 12 States, including her own, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) sparred in the Rajya Sabha over issues ranging from the State government’s alleged indifference toward Centrally sponsored schemes to road markings being painted in the TMC’s colours of white and blue instead of the universal yellow and black.

Actor-turned-MP and president of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) Kamal Haasan, in his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said the SIR could delete 1 crore voters from the list in Tamil Nadu and expressed support for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s opposition to the SIR.