PM's reply to debate in both houses on July 2-3

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister Anurag Thakur will move on Friday in the Lok Sabha Motion of Thanks on the President's address and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to it is expected on July 2.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj will second the motion thanking the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday.

In the Rajya Sabha, BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi will move the motion on Friday and the prime minister could respond to the debate on July 3 in the Upper House.

As per convention and parliamentary procedures, after the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adopt separate motions thanking the President for the address.

The debate on the motion in both the Houses is likely to see both treasury and opposition benches launching sharp attacks on each other.

This is the first session of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.

The Opposition has emerged stronger in the recently held general elections, and issues like exam paper leak are set to dominate most part of the debate.

In her address on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu said the government is fully committed to investigating the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished.

A senior BJP leader said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan could intervene in the debate on the issue related to the medical entrance exam NEET-UG whose question paper was allegedly leaked.

Asked whether other ministers could also intervene, he said it would depend on the issues which are raised in the course of the debate.

With the President, vice president, the prime minister and the speaker referring to the imposition of Emergency in 1975 since the beginning of the session, the issue would also dominate the proceedings in the coming days.

In her address, President Murmu described Emergency as the 'biggest and darkest' chapter of direct attack on the Constitution.

Opposition members can give notices of amendments to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address.

They are usually negated by a voice vote at the end of the debate.

The Parliament session is likely to end on July 3.