PM Modi's reply to motion of thanks to President's address likely in Lok Sabha tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may reply to the motion of thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. According to the list of business uploaded on the Lok Sabha website, there will be no Question Hour tomorrow.

News agency ANI reported that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued three-line whip to all its MPs for Wednesday, asking them to be present in the House throughout the day to support government's stand.

Lok Sabha has been witnessing repeated disruptions in the first part of the budget session over the opposition's demand for discussion on contentious farm laws. Farmers have been protesting near Delhi since November 26 last year, demanding withdrawal of the three laws.

The discussion on President's motion of thanks was taken up by the Lok Sabha on Monday.

PM Modi had delivered his reply to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha on Monday where he quoted his predecessor Manmohan Singh on the need for reforms in the farm sector and also cautioned the nation about a new form of "FDI" which he referred to as "foreign destructive ideology" after international attention on the protest.

"I am quoting former PM Manmohan Singh ji as the opposition may not listen to me but may listen to what Manmohan Singh ji has said. 'There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in the 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get the highest rate of return. It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential as one large common market,' Manmohan Singh had said. But now there is clear U-turn of the Congress," the Prime Minister had said.

PM Modi also sought to allay the fears of the protesting farmers over minimum support price (MSP). "The system will always be there, as it is and has been in the past. We should not spread misinformation about this."

The protesting farmers say that the laws will take away the MSP arrangement, putting them at the mercy of big corporate house.

The Centre has said that these laws are historic and urged the farmers to not listen to misinformation being spread. Eleven rounds of talks have taken place so far, but no resolution has come out. The government has again invited the farmers for talks, which they have agreed to.