Motion of thanks passed without debate

The motion of thanks for the President's address was passed by voice vote in Parliament yesterday, bringing to a close of a stormy first session of the 14th Lok Sabha, with the motion being carried without debates or even the Prime Minister's reply.

The issue of "tainted ministers" in the Cabinet rocked Parliament on all three days of debate.

While the Opposition sat quietly through the tabling of reports by various ministers and an obituary reference to former member Fazlur Rehman, the moment Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said amendments could be proposed to the motion of thanks, the Opposition started an uproar over the issue of tainted ministers.

Chatterjee called on members to propose amendments amidst the shouting, and a couple of members did propose amendments. Even after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stood up to speak, there was some noise from the Opposition benches, prompting the Speaker to chide them.

"What are we doing here for the past four days?'' he said. "What will the country think?'' he asked.

The House negatived all amendments to the address by President A P J Abdul Kalam to the joint sitting of Parliament on June 7.

After this, the Prime Minister delivered a four-line speech: "I believe there is an understanding between political parties on the passing of the motion of thanks through a voice vote."

Thus, without any debate and reply by the Prime Minister, the motion of thanks was cleared. The House was adjourned sine die.

PMO sources said the Prime Minister would be addressing the nation on television in the next few days to deliver the speech he was not allowed to make in Parliament.

The opposition ational democratic Alliance (NDA) remained unrepentant on the issue of not letting the House run.

"The issue of induction of tainted ministers is too important to let go,"said BJP spokesperson VK Malhotra. A few constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government were also against the induction of tainted ministers, he added.

Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav had asked for a Rs 1,90,000 crore Bihar package but was now silent on the issue after his favourites had been inducted into the ministry, Malhotra said.

"He had asked for the money when we were in power as well, and now there is not a twitter from him, this shows his commitment," he said.

Malhotra said the BJP was also worried about the kind of statements coming out of the human resource development (HRD) ministry.

"This is the first time that the government appears eager to raise fees while they have always striven to make sure that the poor get a chance at education," he said referring to a revision of the IIM fee structure.

He also expressed concern over the so called "de-saffronisation" of text books. "This is just another way to let in the communist historians who only want to denigrate our great history," he said.

The address, which outlines the contours of government's policies and programmes, gives an occasion for members from both sides to debate on a number of pressing issues. At the end of the discussion, the Prime Minister gives a detailed reply.

While adjourning the House, the Speaker noted that 538 members had taken oath or made affirmation during the session.

Chatterjee said he felt greatly honoured to have been unanimously elected as Speaker and congratulated Akali Dal leader Charanjit Singh Atwal on his election as Deputy Speaker.