Lok Sabha Passes Motion of Thanks Amidst Opposition Protests

The Lok Sabha has passed the Motion of Thanks on the President's address without Prime Minister Narendra Modi's customary reply, as protests from the Opposition continue. Tensions escalated after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was denied permission to quote from an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane, which discusses political decisions during the 2020 border tensions with China. Speaker Om Birla rejected the Opposition's amendments, leading to the approval of the Motion of Thanks. Gandhi criticized Modi for avoiding Parliament, claiming he is scared to confront the truths in Naravane's memoir. The situation intensified further with BJP leader Nishikant Dubey's remarks about books critical of the Gandhi family.

By Narendra Chaudhary Feb 5, 2026, 13:51 IST

Motion of Thanks Approved Without PM's Response

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha approved the Motion of Thanks regarding the President's address, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi not delivering his usual response. This occurred as Opposition members continued their demonstrations, according to reports from a news agency.

For the last two days, the Opposition has been vocal in their protests, particularly after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to reference a section from an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane, which discusses political decisions during the 2020 border standoff with China.

During the session, Speaker Om Birla conducted a vote on the Opposition's proposed amendments to the Motion of Thanks, which were ultimately dismissed. Following this, Birla read the Motion of Thanks to the President, which was subsequently passed through a voice vote.

The Lower House's proceedings were then suspended until 2 PM.

On Wednesday, Gandhi remarked that Modi was avoiding Parliament out of fear and unwillingness to confront the truths presented in Naravane's memoir. He also mentioned that he would provide the Prime Minister with a copy of the memoir if he attended the session.

The protests escalated on Wednesday after BJP leader Nishikant Dubey claimed to have brought forth several books that were critical of the Gandhi family.