Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks today after repeated Lok Sabha disruptions over China references, trade questions, and rising tensions between the government and opposition.
File image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi | (ANI Video Grab/Sansad TV)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, at around 5 pm.
His reply comes after a stormy day in Parliament, where repeated disruptions forced multiple adjournments and led to the suspension of eight opposition MPs.
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The debate, meant to close the discussion on President Droupadi Murmu’s address, has instead turned into a sharp political clash over national security, China, and India’s recent trade engagements.
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The Lok Sabha struggled to function on Tuesday as proceedings were adjourned three times within hours.
The House was first paused soon after it assembled at 11 am. It was adjourned again at noon and later until 3 pm, as verbal exchanges between the ruling BJP and opposition parties grew louder.
The confrontation began during the Motion of Thanks debate when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised concerns about India-China relations. He spoke about the wider consequences of the China-US conflict for India’s global role and questioned the Prime Minister’s handling of the 2020 border standoff.
Gandhi also sought parliamentary authentication of an article linked to the issue and repeatedly referred to former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir.
BJP members objected strongly, accusing him of straying beyond the scope of the debate and showing disrespect to the armed forces. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged members not to reopen matters already settled. The Chair, meanwhile, repeatedly asked Gandhi to confine his remarks to the Motion of Thanks.
As tempers rose, opposition MPs moved into the well of the House and raised slogans, including “Surrender Modi.” BJP leaders described the protests as a deliberate attempt to disrupt proceedings and a violation of parliamentary norms.
The standoff widened when Congress sought scrutiny of a recent India-US trade agreement praised by the Prime Minister.
The party questioned why the announcement came from the US President and raised concerns about its possible impact on farmers, domestic industries, and India’s strategic autonomy. Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal moved an adjournment motion demanding a detailed parliamentary discussion, especially amid reports that India may have agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.
Despite the disruptions, legislative business remains scheduled. A Motion of Thanks was moved by Sarbananda Sonowal and seconded by Tejasvi Surya, with 18 hours allocated for discussion. In the Rajya Sabha, the motion was moved by BJP MP Sadanand Master.
As per the List of Business, MPs Jair Parkash and Balashowry Vallabhaneni are set to table several Public Accounts Committee reports for 2025–26. These include reports on punctuality in train operations, irregularities related to the Overseas Citizenship of India card scheme and Indian cultural centres abroad, and follow-up action on recommendations linked to the Performance Audit of the Agriculture Crop Insurance Scheme.
The Motion of Thanks follows President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 28, which marked the beginning of the Budget Session.
With Prime Minister Modi expected to speak later today, attention is now on whether his reply can help restore order in a House weighed down by deep political divisions.
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