PM Modi to speak in Lok Sabha at 11am as special session begins today
The special session of the Parliament is likely to kickstart with a speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is scheduled to speak in Lok Sabha at 11am, reported news agencies citing people aware of the matter.
Both Houses will discuss the parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from the constituent assembly, as per a parliamentary bulletin. The discussion will include achievements, experiences, memories and learnings in the 75 years of the parliamentary journey.
“Today, Parliament’s journey of 75 years will be discussed. It will be discussed throughout the day. It is a historic day. I think this will be the last discussion in the (Old) Parliament building,” minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal told reporters.
The tentative business list for the session was announced a few days back amid criticism from the opposition parties for keeping the agenda under wraps. The tentative list of legislative business includes a bill that seeks to exclude the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the panel to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs). The bill also seeks to put service conditions of the CEC and two ECs on par with the cabinet secretary and not a Supreme Court judge, as is the case now.
War of words over agenda
At an all-party meeting on the eve of the session, floor leaders were informed that a bill on the welfare of senior citizens and three related to the SC/ST order have been added to the agenda. However, the unusual timing of the session has left everyone speculating about the legislative business, with Congress suggesting that the government may spring up a surprise bill during the five-day sitting.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari said the government is looking confused, claiming that the ministers have no idea what will happen at the session.
“Government is so confused. It was an agenda by a confused government. When the (all-party) meeting started then total of four points were printed, by the end of the meeting, there were eight points. Then we asked where is the agenda? They said they are sending it to us. This means that the government has called the session but they don’t know, at least the ministers have no idea what will happen,” he told news agency ANI.
“Maybe the PM comes up with a mysterious thing, this should be left to him…Overall, there was not a single topic in front of us that could not have been discussed in the previous session or could not be held in the upcoming winter session in one month.”
Responding to the criticism, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “Their (Opposition) request for clarification (of agenda) has been made clear in the all-party meeting yesterday. We have already announced our agenda… I request them to attend the Parliament’s journey of 75 years that will be discussed today as PM Modi has taken the oath to make India a developed country before 2047.”