Lok Sabha passes President's Motion of Thanks without PM's response
What's the story
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President's address without Prime Minister Narendra Modi's customary reply. This is the first time since 2004 that such a thing has happened. Only three MPs were able to deliver their speeches during this session. In 2004, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also unable to respond to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Session adjourned
Motion of thanks passed by voice vote
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla put the opposition amendments to the Motion of Thanks to a vote, which were rejected. He then read out the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu for her address on January 28. The motion was passed by a voice vote amid sloganeering by opposition members. As protests continued, Speaker Birla adjourned proceedings till 2:00pm.
Protest details
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slams BJP chief JP Nadda
The opposition has been protesting against the government, alleging that Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha on General MM Naravane's unpublished book about the 2020 China clash. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed BJP President JP Nadda for calling LoP Rahul Gandhi "abodh," asking what they were afraid of. She asked if they feared he would quote from a book or discuss US-India trade agreements.
Speaking rights
In parliamentary democracy, LoP should have been allowed to speak
Congress MP KC Venugopal stressed that in a parliamentary democracy, the Leader of the Opposition should have been allowed to speak. He said this right was completely denied in the Lok Sabha. "The real fact is that the farmers of India are very concerned about this deal (US-India trade agreement). India has been compromised with this deal," Venugopal said.
Support voiced
Congress MP Tharoor backs LoP's right to speak
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also supported the Leader of the Opposition's right to speak. "The LoP should be allowed to speak, and what is more, is that what he is quoting is already in the public domain. All he wanted to do was make his point." Opposition members from various parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI(M), staged a walkout amid these protests.