Modi's Lok Sabha Reply Canceled in Parliamentary Impasse

In a rare parliamentary impasse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks on President Droupadi Murmu's address was canceled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, as repeated disruptions by opposition members forced Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House without the customary government response. The incident unfolded in New Delhi during the ongoing Budget Session, highlighting escalating tensions between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition INDIA bloc.

The Motion of Thanks, moved by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and seconded by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, stems from the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament on January 28, marking the session's start. The Lok Sabha had allocated 18 hours for debate, but proceedings devolved into chaos amid protests over multiple issues. Opposition members, including those from Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, and Left parties, entered the Well of the House, raised slogans, and displayed posters targeting the Prime Minister with phrases like "Narendra Surrender." Specific grievances included references to a former Army chief's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in...