New Delhi: In a letter to Speaker Om Birla, Congress MP KC Venugopal said the motion to thank the President for the joint address was passed but did not receive a reply Prime Minister Narendra Modiand his absence from the Lok Sabha on Wednesday constituted a procedural violation.Venugopal said Section 20 requires the Prime Minister to explain the government’s position at the end of the discussion and if he is unable to do so, he should inform the House. He said Modi’s motion was passed in absentia after failing to respond, which violated Article 20.He said the debate ends with a reply from the minister concerned and if the debate ends without a reply, it must be moved by a member of Parliament under Rule 362.MPs said the motion of thanks was passed suddenly without following any procedures.“I ask you to inform the House of the procedures you followed in dealing with the Prime Minister’s responses to the debate and in closing the debate. A proper analysis of the relevant rules and the procedures you adopted will be of great benefit to the House,” he said.
