Congress recalls 2004 LS standoff as deadlock continues over prez address

The Congress on Thursday sought to draw a historical parallel amid the continuing stalemate in the Lok Sabha, recalling an episode from 2004 when then prime minister Manmohan Singh was prevented from replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address due to disruptions by the BJP.

Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh shared a video clip on social media of Singh’s speech delivered on 10 March 2005, in which the former prime minister referred to being unable to speak in the House the previous year. Ramesh said the clip was a reminder of how Singh had been stopped from responding to the Motion of Thanks on 10 June 2004.

In the speech, Singh described it as a “hard-earned privilege” to finally address the House on the Motion of Thanks, noting that he had waited a full year to do so after being denied the opportunity earlier.

The Congress’s remarks came a day after chaotic scenes in the Lok Sabha forced an adjournment before Prime Minister Narendra Modi could reply to the debate on the President’s Address. On Wednesday evening, several women MPs from opposition parties moved into the Well of the House holding banners, leading to the suspension of proceedings for the rest of the day.

At the time, Modi was not present in the chamber. BJP member P P Chaudhary was speaking on the Motion of Thanks when opposition members entered the Well, protesting against a proposed trade agreement with the United States and references to an unpublished book by former Army chief M M Naravane.

Government floor managers had indicated that the prime minister would respond to the debate at 5 pm. However, when the House reconvened after multiple adjournments, further protests broke out as Chaudhary resumed his remarks. As opposition members approached the Treasury benches and the prime minister’s seat, the presiding officer adjourned the House for the day.

Modi is now expected to speak in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks concluded without disruption. It remains uncertain when he will address the Lok Sabha, with opposition protests expected to continue. The House’s agenda for Thursday includes a discussion on the Union Budget.

Tensions between the government and the opposition have escalated since Tuesday, following the suspension of one CPI(M) MP and seven Congress MPs for what were described as unruly actions for the remainder of the Budget session.

With PTI inputs