Lok Sabha Clears President’s Address Without PM’s Reply, A First in Two Decades

New Delhi | 5 Feb 2026 In an unusual move not seen since 2004, the Lok Sabha on Thursday approved the Motion of Thanks on President Droupadi Murmu’s address without a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The development took place amid continuous disruptions during the Budget Session, marking a rare moment in parliamentary proceedings. Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks on Wednesday. However, repeated sloganeering and protests by opposition members forced the Speaker to adjourn the House. On Thursday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla read out the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament held on January 28. The motion was passed through a voice vote, even as opposition MPs continued raising slogans, following which the House was adjourned till 2:00 PM. The ruckus in the Lok Sabha intensified as INDIA bloc MPs raised slogans against the Prime Minister and the Centre soon after the House convened at 11 am. Opposition members alleged that Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was denied the right to speak. They also protested against the government for allegedly preventing him from quoting General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir related to the 2020 China standoff during a parliamentary discussion. Tensions between the government and the opposition have been rising since Tuesday, when eight Congress MPs were suspended for unruly conduct for the remainder of the Budget Session. Drawing parallels with the past, opposition leaders recalled a similar incident from 2004, when the BJP had stopped then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from replying to the Motion of Thanks. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh later shared a video from March 10, 2005, in which Singh referred to the June 10, 2004 episode when he was not allowed to respond to the President’s Address, highlighting how history appeared to repeat itself in Parliament once again. Parliamentary First in Two Decades: Lok Sabha Passes President’s Address Without PM’s Response In a rare moment not seen since 2004, the Lok Sabha approved President Droupadi Murmu’s address without a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This happened during the ongoing Budget Session as repeated protests disrupted normal proceedings in the House. The Prime Minister was expected to respond to the “Motion of Thanks” on Wednesday, but constant sloganeering by opposition MPs led to adjournments. On Thursday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla read out the “Motion of Thanks” for the President’s January 28 address, and it was passed through a voice vote despite loud protests. Tensions remained high as opposition MPs raised slogans, accusing the government of denying Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi the chance to speak in the House. The opposition has also been protesting against restrictions on quoting General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir related to the 2020 China standoff. The standoff worsened earlier this week after eight Congress MPs were suspended for the rest of the Budget Session. Opposition leaders recalled a similar episode from 2004, when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was stopped from replying to the President’s Address, pointing out how the situation in Parliament has once again echoed the past.