Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak in Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on July 2, Tuesday, news agency PTI reported. PM Modi’s speech will come a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s maiden speech as Leader of Opposition in the lower House of Parliament launching a scathing attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The ongoing Lok Sabha session, the first of the newly-elected house, that started on June 24 is expected to run till July 3. Before addressing the house, PM Modi will address the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) parliamentary party meeting at 9:30am. This will be PM Modi’s his first address to the ruling alliance’s Members of Parliament (MPs) after winning his third term as Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is expected to respond to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Monday. In his speech on Monday, Gandhi launched a scathing attack on PM Modi and other leaders of the BJP for an ‘assault’ on the idea of India. In his first speech as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi displayed posters of religious figures, including Lord Shiva, to target the ruling party.
Gandhi’s remark triggered an uproar in Lok Sabha with the ruling party members, including PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, intervening and accusing the Raebareli MP of ‘abusing’ the Hindu society. Shah sought apology from Gandhi for his remarks.
The spar between the ruling and opposition leaders assumes significance as the BJP has lost the majority in the Lok Sabha for the first time in ten years and thus relies on its allies for being in power.
While the BJP won 240 seats, its allies won 53, leading to the NDA comfortably crossing the halfway mark in the 543-member House. With over 230 members, the opposition has also a better strength in the house compared to last two terms of PM Modi-led government.
Rahul Gandhi also targeted the ruling BJP over NEET-UG controversy and Aginipath scheme for recruitment in defence forces.