Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to respond to the debate on Motion of Thanks for the President’s address on Tuesday, a day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s first speech as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Parliament session.
According to official sources, the 16-hour debate, which began on Monday (July 1), is likely to conclude this evening following which the prime minister will respond. The debate on the Motion of Thanks could not begin on June 28 due to repeated disruptions caused by the opposition over the NEET exam paper leak issue.
Gandhi launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP in the Lok Sabha, saying the leaders of the ruling party are not Hindus as they engage in “violence and hate” round the clock, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, with Modi accusing the Congress leader of calling the entire Hindu community violent. These remarks, however, were expunged from record.
He also demanded an answer from the government on issues such as the alleged paper leak in the medical entrance exam NEET and Agniveer. His remarks on the Agnipath scheme being the “brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” were also expunged. Some other parts of his speech, including remarks about industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani as well as the comment that the entire exam coaching system in Kota is centralised to favour the rich, were also removed from record.
Modi is also expected to address the parliamentary party meeting of the National Democratic Alliance. This will be his first speech to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of Parliament since he assumed office for a third term.
Though he has in the past addressed them on some occasions, especially when he was elected as their leader ahead of all his three terms, he generally speaks at the meetings of the BJP MPs during sessions. Official sources said all MPs of the BJP and its allies have been notified about the meeting and asked to attend.
The development assumes significance as the BJP, for the first time since 2014, has lost the majority in the Lok Sabha in the recently held Lok Sabha elections and depends on its allies for the government’s continuation. While the BJP won 240 seats, its allies won 53, leading to the NDA comfortably crossing the halfway mark in the 543-member House.
(With PTI inputs)
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