Parliament Budget Session Live updates Day 1 | President address joint session of Parliament, both Houses adjourned till tomorrow

The Rajya Sabha shall resume tomorrow half an hour after the presentation of the interim budget in the Lok Sabha. 

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar announces that the suspension of members of the House during the previous session has been revoked so they could attend the President’s address. Those suspended include L. Hanumantaiah, Sandosh Kumar P and John Brittas, among others. The Committee of Privileges, which submitted its report on January 30, found that they were guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the council and had recommended that the period of suspension already suffered by the members was sufficient punishment for the same. While the report was to be presented to the House, Mr. Dhankhar invoked his powers prior to the presentation and consideration by the House to allow the members to attend the President’s address. 

The report pertaining to this matter was laid on the table of the House. 

A statement of the Bills passed during the previous session of the Parliament, which have now received the President’s assent, was laid on the table of the Rajya Sabha.

Rajya Sabha makes obituary references to the passing away of Hari Shankar Bhabra, and Sushree Devi, former members of the Rajya Sabha. Members rise and maintain silence as a mark of respect to honour those who passed away.

The Lower House was adjourned within minutes of the commencement of proceedings after the House made obituary references to the passing away of former members Bhadreshwar Tanti and Sonawane Pratap Narayanrao. The House will meet again at 11 a.m. on February 1. 

After the President’s address to the joint sitting, the Upper House resumed proceedings with new members taking the oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Constitution. This included Narain Das Gupta and Swati Maliwal from the AAP and nominated member Satnam Singh Sandhu, among others.

To the tunes of a military band, with a guard holding the Sengol, President Droupadi Murmu proceeds out of the Sansad Bhavan in a grand ceremony. She will return to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in a horse-drawn carriage accompanied by a horse-mounted battalion of guards. 

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar reads the English version of parts of the President’s address, and says that the rest should be treated as read. 

President Droupadi Murmu concludes her speech by hoping that the new house will frame policies to make India a developed nation by 2047.

She says many members will not be there to witness 2047 in person, but the legacy should be such that it will continue. She thanks the House, ending with a “Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.”

When President Murmu mentions that Ram Lalla has been established in his temple, the House erupts in cheers. This was the wish of many Indians, she says. 

“After years of efforts, Ram Lalla has been installed in the Ram Mandir. This was a dream of the people of the country,” she says. 

“My government is marching ahead to fulfill the dreams of 140 crore Indians,” she says. 

The President hailed the Centre’s efforts to provide support to sportspersons. “India is on its way to becoming a superpower in sports,” the President told the joint sitting.

Talking about measures taken to engage youth, President Murmu shared that the Mera Yuva Bharat organisation has been created. Almost 1 crore youth have joined this programme, she shared. 

“My government is making efforts to make India one of the largest space powers in the world. This will improve human life and is improve India’s share in the space economy,” the President says.

“My government is building modern infrastructure on our borders. Our armed forces have given befitting reply to terrorism. The results of my government’s efforts for internal peace are in front of us. There is an atmosphere of security and safety in Jammu and Kashmir. There has been a huge drop in incidents of naxal violence,” the President says.

Stressing on empowerment of women, the President said, “The government has taken several measures to assist women such as bank loans and programmes to make credit available to them. My government has given women a permanent commission in the armed forces for the first time. Women are now flying fighter planes in the Air Force, commanding naval ships. Crores of women are self-employed.”

Addressing Parliament, the President said that government has taken several measures to ensue that people have access to efficient and affordable transport facilities. “The Railways have provided discounted tickets. Airfare discounts and cheap tickets have benefitted the poor and middle class,” the President says.

“FDI doubled in the last few years. Income Tax return filings have also doubled. The fiscal deficit is also under control. Our forex reserves are also more than $600 billion. India is the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world. Defence production has touched Rs. 1 lakh crore. Digital India has made life and business easy in India. Even developed countries don’t have a digital system like India,” the President says.

On the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir, the President said the decades-long wait for Ram Temple is over, with Mandir now a reality. “In the last 10 years, the country has witnessed the completion of such projects for which the people had waited for decades. There was the desire for building the Ram Mandir for centuries and today it has become a reality,” the President said, evoking thumping of desks from the treasury benches.

She added that there were apprehensions over the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir “but they have become history now”.

Addressing joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, President Droupadi Murmu recounts achievements of the Narendra Modi-led government and recent legislations passed by Parliament.

“Criminal laws of the colonial era are a thing of the past now. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has replaced the colonial laws. Ram Temple was constructed, Article 370 was removed and a strong law was passed to ban triple talaq. My government implemented One Rank One Pension and retired soldiers have so far received Rs. 1 lakh crore,” the President says.

In her address, the President says the Indian economy used to be among the ‘fragile five’ but was now moving in the right direction and at the right pace due to several reforms undertaken by the government in the last 10 years. “According to the NITI Aayog, in the 10-year rule of my government, nearly 25 crore people have come out of poverty,” she adds.

President Murmu accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Speaker Om Birla and Prahlad Joshi entered the Parliament in a grand ceremonial procession. 

For the first time, the “sengol” was also made part of the ceremonial procession. This is the first address of Ms. Murmu from the new building.

Live address of the President from Parliament:

The President of India Droupadi Murmu arrives at Parliament in a horse-drawn carriage flanked by guards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also present; Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Speaker Om Birla and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi welcome the President to Parliament. President Murmu is expected to address both Houses of Parliament today.