Causing much embarrassment to the Modi government, the Congress, along with the Left, SP and JD(U), forced a change in the motion of thanks to the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament, dismissing an appeal by the PM to not insist on pressing for the amendments, according to The Times of India.
As an outcome of this, a criticism of laws passed by BJP governments in Haryana and Rajasthan to make minimum educational qualification mandatory for panchayat candidates was incorporated in the motion. Although the inaugural address is read by the President, it is prepared by the government and is given to highlight its achievements.
Congress and Co. pulled this stunt last year too, leveraging their numbers in the Upper House to force amendments suggested by CPM in the motion of thanks to the Presidential address.
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