Govt-opposition Lok Sabha deadlock: Congress invokes 2004 Manmohan Singh episode to counter government

Jairam Ramesh

• Congress recalls BJP prevented Manmohan Singh from speaking in Lok Sabha in 2004
• Motion of Thanks passed in Lok Sabha without PM Modi speaking during debate
• PM Modi expected to speak on Motion of Thanks in Rajya Sabha on Thursday

Did our AI summary help?

Amid the government-opposition deadlock in the Lok Sabha, the Congress on Thursday recalled that on June 10, 2004, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was prevented by the BJP from speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

The lower house on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address through a voice vote, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi not speaking during the debate in the House.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X a video of Singh's speech on March 10, 2005, recalling that the then PM had referred to the fact that he was prevented from replying to the Motion of Thanks on June 10, 2004.

On Wednesday night, Ramesh had said that to recall and remind on June 10 2004, the then prime minister was prevented by the BJP from speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

"On March 10, 2005, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh began his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address thus: 'Mr. Speaker, Sir, I deem it a great privilege to be standing here today to express the gratitude of our Government to the respected Rashtrapatiji for his address to members of both Houses of Parliament.

"'Sir, this is a hard earned privilege for me since I have had to wait out the entire year to perform this happy task. I would like to take this opportunity to doubly thank the President for his Address last year and his Address this year'," Ramesh recalled.

The prime minister is now expected to speak on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address has taken place without any disruption.