Was the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address Passed in LS During Opposition Protests?
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New Delhi, Feb 5 (NationPress) The Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the Motion of Thanks regarding the President's Address on Thursday, amidst relentless protests from the Opposition MPs.
Following a one-hour suspension, the House resumed at 12 p.m. despite ongoing protests from the Opposition. After the motion passed, the Lok Sabha was adjourned once more until 2 p.m.
Amidst continuous shouting from the Opposition, the session saw intense discussions this week as members from the Opposition clashed with the Treasury Benches over the refusal to allow Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to deliver a speech, referencing parts of an article related to unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane.
Gandhi later asserted that the memoir contained mentions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
This assertion led to significant uproar from the Treasury Benches, with members demanding that Gandhi stick to parliamentary regulations and utilize only verified sources within the House.
The situation escalated into a political clash between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi's scheduled address in Parliament at 5 p.m. was delayed as the Lok Sabha was adjourned until Thursday morning, due to the ongoing ruckus and loud protests from the Opposition.
When the Lok Sabha reconvened at 5 p.m. on Wednesday to deliberate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, chaos erupted with Opposition members protesting against the General M.M. Naravane memoirs.
Sandhya Ray, who was chairing the House, urged lawmakers to remain seated and maintain decorum, but her requests were largely ignored.
Members from the Opposition gathered in the Well of the House, displaying pamphlets.
The Lower House has faced continuous disruptions over the past two days, with the Union government and the Opposition in a fierce standoff regarding the India-China border skirmishes that occurred in August 2020.
Rahul Gandhi, representing the Congress, brought up the subject of Chinese aggression during the Galwan stand-off, citing 'uncomfortable facts' from General Naravane's memoirs, which reportedly discuss 'political indecision' over responding to the Chinese provocations.