The Budget Session in the Rajya Sabha began on a stormy note on Thursday as the Opposition objected to the expunging of some remarks by Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in the House earlier. While speaking during a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address on Wednesday, Kharge questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the Adani issue and said he should spend more time in the house

As the Opposition objected to the expunging of the remarks, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked leaders to "first go through what has been expunged. "We are in the house where some decorum has to be maintained," he said.

Later, Kharge defended his remarks saying, "I don't think some words in my speech were unparliamentary or levelling allegations against anyone." He adds that "expunging of words should be done after considering all rules". He said, "We've also studied the rules as to what words they can't expunge. I've given them a three-page reply and maybe they will be satisfied after that."

PM Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address at 2 pm in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, a day after he launched a blistering attack on the Congress in the Lok Sabha.

In his speech in the Lok Sabha, the PM took veiled digs at the Opposition, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, launching a stinging counterattack over its bid to target him over the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

Referring to the UPA rule before 2014, the PM said the decade before 2014 will be known as a lost decade. He also said that the "blessings of 140 crore Indians" is his 'Suraksha Kavach'.

"The protective shield of the trust reposed by 140 crore Indians cannot be breached by the weapons of lies," PM Modi said in his nearly 85-minute speech.

The Opposition has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or Supreme Court-led probe into the Hindenberg-Adani row. Some MPs even staged a walkout during Prime Minister's reply in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

First Published:Feb 9, 2023 11:47 AM IST