PM Modi to reply to Motion of Thanks today after Rahul's no-holds-barred attack

A day after Rahul Gandhi’s fiery maiden speech as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (July 2).

Prior to it, the prime minister will address the NDA’s parliamentary party meeting at 9.30 am. This will be his first address to the ruling bloc's MPs after winning his third term in office.

It holds great significance in view of the fact that the BJP has lost the majority in the Lok Sabha in the recently held Lok Sabha elections and depends on its allies like TDP, JDU and Shinde-led Shiv Sena for running the government. The BJP’s tally dropped from 303 in 2019 to 240 in 2024. However, its alliance partners bagged 53 seats, helping them cross the majority mark of 272.

The debate on the Motion of Thanks, initially scheduled for Friday, faced delays and disruptions after the Opposition MPs protested against the irregularities in the NEET examination, demanding discussions on the same.

Modi’s reply will come a day after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, on plethora of issues, ranging from Manipur mayhem to Agnipath Scheme.

Rahul accused the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slamming the Congress leader for “calling the entire Hindu community violent”.

Besides Modi, who intervened twice, at least five cabinet ministers interjected during Rahul’s speech that lasted for about an hour and 40 minutes, with Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an apology from him.

Rahul also accused the BJP of launching "systematic attacks" on the Constitution and the fundamental concept of India, noting that millions of people have resisted the ideas proposed by the ruling party.