The prime minister was not present when Speaker Om Birla put the opposition amendments to a vote. The amendments were rejected. The Speaker then read the Motion of Thanks for the President’s January 28 address to both Houses of Parliament. The motion was passed by voice vote as opposition members raised slogans.
Congress members entered the Well holding posters with the prime minister’s picture and the slogan “Narendra-Surrender.” Members of the Samajwadi Party displayed banners and pamphlets over reported demolitions at Manikarnika Ghat on the Ganga in Varanasi.
Their banners carried images of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, who developed the ghats nearly 300 years ago. Trinamool Congress members joined the protest in the Well. Other INDIA bloc members, including DMK and Left parties, stood in the aisle and at their seats in support.
As protests continued, proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm.
When the House met earlier at 11 am, the Speaker expressed concern over opposition conduct the previous evening, when the prime minister had been scheduled to speak. He said members moving toward the treasury benches was against the dignity of the House and made it difficult to conduct proceedings. The House was adjourned till noon.
On Wednesday evening, opposition MPs, including women members, moved toward the prime minister’s seat, holding banners during the debate on the Motion of Thanks. The House was adjourned for the day. The prime minister was not present at the time. BJP member P P Chaudhary was speaking when opposition MPs entered the Well.
Former Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary called the passage of the motion without the prime minister’s reply an “unprecedented development.” He cited a 2004 instance involving then-prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Singh, on June 10, 2004, had said, “Speaker sir, I learn that there is an understanding among political parties on both sides that the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address be put to vote straightaway and passed unanimously. Therefore, sir, I request you to put the motion to vote.”
In the Rajya Sabha, Opposition parties led by Congress staged a walkout after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to quote from a memoir by former Army chief MM Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict.
After papers were laid, Congress members demanded that Kharge be allowed to speak first. Treasury and Opposition benches argued after Kharge said Rahul Gandhi was not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha. Kharge said both Houses are pillars of democracy and alleged the ruling party was not allowing democracy to function. Treasury bench members opposed his remarks.
When Kharge tried to cite the unpublished Naravane book, Treasury bench members objected. Amid the uproar, members of Congress, TMC, AAP, CPI and CPI(M) walked out.
Later, when the Lok Sabha met at 2 pm, opposition MPs again entered the Well and raised slogans. Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, asked members to return to their seats. As protests continued, the House was adjourned till 3 pm. Opposition MPs said they were protesting several issues, including the passage of the Motion of Thanks without Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi completing his speech.
