PM Modi likely to reply to President's address in Lok Sabha on Feb 10

PM Modi had delivered his reply to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday where he appealed to the protesting farmers to withdraw their over two-month-long stir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the motion of thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha on February 10, sources told ANI. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha also accepted Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi's motion of dispensing with the Question Hour for the next two days (till Wednesday).

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply in Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address will be on February 10," said the sources.

Parliamentary proceedings continued till midnight to accommodate the long list of speakers participating in the Motion of Thanks to the President's address.

Lok Sabha was adjourned till 4 pm Tuesday (February 9).

The ongoing Budget session of Parliament has been continuously witnessing uproar for the last four days over the opposition's demand for separate discussion on the new farm laws. Thousands of farmers have been protesting at several border points of the national capital since late November, demanding the withdrawal of the farm laws.

The Lok Sabha on Monday took up discussion on motion of thanks to the President's address after seeing disruptions over four days last week over opposition's demand for separate discussion on the new farm laws.

When the House met after an adjournment on Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the House every year expresses its thanks to the President for his address to the joint sitting of two Houses and opposition members also agree that "healthy democratic traditions" should continue.

He said India has a vibrant democracy and all members want to contribute to it. Singh also noted that the Rajya Sabha had completed the discussion to the motion of thanks and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had replied to it.

PM Modi had delivered his reply to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday where he quoted his predecessor Manmohan Singh on the need for reforms in the farm sector and also cautioned the nation about a new form of "FDI" which he referred to as "foreign destructive ideology" as the agitation grabs global attention.

Defending Centre's policies for farmers and referring to those taking a "U-Turn" from laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Rajya Sabha said, "Manmohan Ji is here, I would read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. 'There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return..."

"...It is our intention to remove all those handicaps, which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market," he added.