PM Modi exudes confidence about Lok Sabha polls win, says ‘will present a full Budget after poll’

Only interim Budget to be presented before the upcoming Lok Sabha poll; commenting on the acrimonious Winter Session of Parliament, when 146 MPs were suspended, PM asks “unruly” Opposition MPs to introspect

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Lok Sabha. File photo | Photo Credit: PTI

Noting that this Budget Session will only see the presentation of an interim Budget, as is customary in an election year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he would present a full Budget once the new government has been formed, exuding confidence that he will return to power.

Greeting the media with a “Ram Ram” ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament which begins on Wednesday, Mr. Modi said, “As you all know, when polls are this close, the government presents an interim Budget, and we too shall be following that tradition, and we will bring a full Budget once the new government is formed.”

The Prime Minister added that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech however, would offer broad direction on the vision and policies of the government.

This being the first Budget session in the new Parliament House, Mr. Modi pointed out that its first order of business had been the Naari Shakti Vandan Adhineeyum or the law to introduce reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. He added that the tone set that day had continued to infuse the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, which saw significant participation of women in the parade.

‘Unruly MPs must introspect’

Reflecting on the bitterness between the Opposition and treasury benches in the Winter Session of Parliament, which saw the suspension of 146 MPs from both Houses, he said that “habitually unruly” MPs must introspect. “Those who have a habit of being involved in ruckus and degrading the Constitutional values, all those honourable MPs must introspect in this last session of this term,” the PM said.

“Many MPs who spoke with a sense of engagement with serious issues are still remembered. Notably, no one remembers those who created ruckus. Even in the coming days, when anyone watches the discussions in the House, each and every voice emanated from the House will be revealed as a record of history,” Mr. Modi added.

The Budget Session of Parliament will continue till February 9, and will see President Droupadi Murmu give her first joint address to both Houses in the new Parliament building, as well as the tabling of the interim Budget by Ms. Sitharaman.