Dramatic scenes unfolded in the Upper House as Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified his criticism of the Opposition amid intense sloganeering, with members of opposition parties staging a walkout during his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President’s address.
Rajya Sabha
The proceedings began with the House condoling the loss of lives in the stampede incident in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. After Leader of Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge called on the government to enact legislation to prevent similar incidents in the future, the Chairman asked the LoP to work with the Leader of the House so that such events could be avoided. Check out highlights here
After the House concluded the discussion on the Motion of Thanks, PM Narendra Modi reiterated his commitment to serving the nation as he thanked people for placing faith in the BJP-led NDA alliance for the third time and for rejecting the “politics of deceit.” He said the 2024 verdict showed people voted for performance and to defeat the Opposition’s propaganda. “We feel proud of the wisdom and intelligence of the people of this country in these elections. They defeated propaganda. They prioritised performance. They rejected the politics of deceit and put a stamp of victory on the politics of trust,” the PM said. He further challenged the Opposition’s claim that the polls were fought on the issue of “protecting the Constitution,” and said the Congress was the “biggest opponent of the Constitution”.
The PM’s remarks drew protests from the Opposition benches. The uproar escalated into heavy sloganeering as LoP Mallikarjun Kharge’s repeated requests to intervene were ignored by the Chair, leading to INDIA bloc MPs staging a walkout midway through the PM’s address. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar condemned the Opposition, terming it as an insult to the Constitution. The PM also hit out at the INDIA leaders, saying the Opposition was running away as they couldn’t dare to hear the “truth”.
In his subsequent address, Mr. Modi touched upon various issues.
Breaking his silence on the Manipur situation, the PM asserted that the Centre is making constant efforts to restore peace in the State, which has been witnessing ethnic violence since last year. “I warn those who are trying to add the fuel to the fire will be rejected by Manipur...Congress had imposed President’s rule in Manipur 10 times,” he said, and called on the Opposition to cooperate. The Manipur crisis has been a constant cause of disruptions in Parliament, with the Opposition demanding a debate on the issue.
On the NEET paper leak row, Mr. Modi said the Centre is taking serious action against those involved. The guilty will not be spared, the PM said, and slammed the Opposition for politicising the issue.
Speaking on the recent incident of flogging of a woman in West Bengal, Mr. Modi accused the Opposition of a “selective approach.” He also made a special mention of Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the fight against terrorism in the UT is in its last stage. “We are moving with a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the remaining terror network there,” he said.
After the PM concluded his around two-hour long speech, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, in his concluding remarks, criticised the Opposition for setting a “dangerous precedent antithetical to democratic values” by walking out. He described the LoP’s action of entering the well of the House during the session as a “disgrace to parliamentary conduct and propriety.”
The 264th session of Rajya Sabha, which began on June 27, was then adjourned sine die, marking the conclusion of the special session of Parliament. The Lok Sabha was adjourned indefinitely yesterday, July 2.
Published - July 03, 2024 05:47 pm IST
