New Delhi, Feb. 4 -- What was meant to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's big moment in Parliament turned into a political flashpoint on Wednesday, as his absence from the Lok Sabha -- amid a fierce row over former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff -- triggered sharp accusations, and an all-out BJP versus Opposition slugfest inside and outside the House.

PM Modi was expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address at 5 pm. Instead, but after repeated disruptions and sloganeering by the Opposition members, the Speaker adjourned the Lok Sabha.

The standoff centres on Rahul Gandhi's attempt to cite Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh, whi...