New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament will continue discussions on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on Wednesday as the Budget Session progresses, amid heightened political tensions between the government and the opposition.
In the Lok Sabha, the motion was moved by Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and seconded by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. The House has earmarked 18 hours for the debate, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to respond later in the day. In the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP Sadanand Master formally moved the motion.
The debate follows President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 28, which marked the commencement of the Budget Session.
As per the List of Business, MPs Jair Parkash and Balashowry Vallabhaneni are slated to table reports of the Public Accounts Committee for 2025–26. These include reports on punctuality and travel time in Indian Railways, short collection of fees due to incorrect exchange rate application under the Overseas Citizenship of India card scheme, irregularities in the establishment of Indian Cultural Centres abroad, and the government’s follow-up action on observations related to the Agriculture Crop Insurance Scheme.
Proceedings on Tuesday were disrupted after a confrontation erupted in the Lok Sabha during the discussion. The standoff followed Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s reference to an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General M M Naravane, triggering strong objections from the treasury benches. Eight opposition MPs were subsequently suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session for violating House rules and allegedly throwing papers at the Chair.
The suspended members include Congress MPs Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Dean Kuriakose, along with CPI(M) MP S Venkatesan.
Rahul Gandhi later wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, expressing concern that he was being prevented from speaking on matters of national security during the debate on the Motion of Thanks.
The Budget Session is scheduled to have 30 sittings spread over 65 days and will conclude on April 2. Parliament will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to allow Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.
