New Delhi, Feb 4: Both Houses of Parliament are set to continue their discussion on the motion of ‘Thanks to the President’s Address’ during the ongoing Budget Session on Wednesday.

In the Lok Sabha, the motion was introduced by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and seconded by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. A total of 18 hours have been allotted for the debate, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to reply today.

In the Rajya Sabha, BJP MP Sadananad Master moved the motion of thanks, following President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses on January 28, marking the start of the Budget Session.

As per the List of Business, MPs Jair Parkash and Balashowry Vallabhaneni are set to present the Public Accounts Committee’s 2025-26 reports. These include the Thirty-sixth Report on ‘Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways,’ the Thirty-seventh Report on ‘Short Collection of Fees due to Incorrect Exchange Rate in Overseas Citizenship of India Card Scheme,’ and the Thirty-eighth Report on the government’s action taken on the observations of the Public Accounts Committee regarding the ‘Performance Audit of Agriculture Crop Insurance Scheme.’

The previous day’s discussion on the motion led to a heated standoff between the opposition and the government in the Lok Sabha. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised concerns over the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General MM Naravane, reigniting tensions. The situation escalated, resulting in the suspension of eight opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Budget Session. These MPs were accused of violating parliamentary rules, including “throwing papers on the chair.”

The suspended MPs include Congress members Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Dean Kuriakose, along with CPI(M) member S Venkatesan.

Rahul Gandhi also wrote to Speaker Om Birla, expressing concerns about being “prevented from speaking” on matters of national security during the ongoing debate on the Motion of Thanks.

The Budget Session will last for 30 sittings over 65 days, concluding on April 2. Parliament will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 for the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.a