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Parliament house in New Delhi (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday replied to the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind’s address, in the Rajya Sabha, day seven of the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. Usually, Prime Ministers speak in both the Houses of Parliament – Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. However, with the Opposition protesting refusing to end protests in the Lok Sabha over the contentious farm laws, the PM’s reply, only in the Rajya Sabha, marked a departure from the norm.

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In a collective show of strength, more than a dozen Opposition parties had boycotted the President’s address on January 29, which marks the commencement of the Budget session. While debate on Motion of Thanks happened rather smoothly in the Rajya Sabha, with the Centre and the Opposition agreeing to discuss the issue in the Upper House for a total of 15 hours, no discussion could take place in the Lok Sabha or the Lower House. According to an official statement, the first six sittings of the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing session were productive, registering a productivity of 82.10%.

The first half of the Budget session will end on February 13. The second and final half will take place from March 8-April 8.