Parliament Thanks President as PM’s Reply Is Skipped Amid Protests
Parliament Thanks President as PM’s Reply Is Skipped Amid Protests
Opposition protests continue in Lok Sabha as the House passes a resolution thanking the President for her address without the Prime Minister replying.
In a move that marked a rare departure from recent parliamentary practice, the Lok Sabha approved the President’s address to a joint sitting without the Prime Minister delivering the reply, the first such instance since 2004. The session saw persistent disruptions from opposition MPs, who chanted slogans and pressed for the government to allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak. The Speaker read out the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, and the motion was cleared by voice vote despite the ruckus in the house.
As the protests continued, Opposition MPs raised concerns about the denial of Rahul Gandhi’s right to speak in the Lok Sabha, arguing that the PM’s reply should follow the LoP’s questions. The standoff has intensified in the Budget Session, with eight Congress members suspended for the rest of the session after unruly conduct.
The incident echoed a similar moment from 2004, when then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not allowed to respond to the Motion of Thanks, a breach that has since become a reference point in debates over parliamentary procedure. Supporters of the government maintain that the Speaker’s ruling and the subsequent voice-vote outcome reflect the House’s functioning under disorderly but permissible conduct, while critics say the episode undermines the rhythm of democratic accountability.
With winter session disruptions continuing, lawmakers and observers alike will be watching how the government and the opposition navigate conversations about parliamentary norms, speaking rights, and the path toward a more constructive debate in the weeks ahead.
