Special Parliament session may be small in duration but a big occasion: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the five-day special Parliament session may be small in duration but a big occasion.

“It is a session of historic developments,” said Modi as he arrived in the Parliament before the start of the session. He asked all members of the House to give maximum time to the session. “An atmosphere of festivity and enthusiasm prevails in the country; the nation is feeling a new self-confidence,” he said.

Modi, who highlighted the success of India’s moon mission and G20 summit, was due to start a discussion in Lok Sabha on Parliament’s 75-year journey soon after it meets on the first day of the session at 11am.

Leaders of parties across the political spectrum pushed for the passage of the women’s reservation bill at an all-party meeting called a day before Parliament meets for the special session. Some of the opposition leaders at the meeting questioned the timing of the session and the listed agenda and demanded to know if the government had planned to advance the winter session by rescheduling the House sittings.

The session will begin in the existing Parliament building on Monday and thereafter move to the new building on Tuesday.

After a special function in the Central Hall on Tuesday, which will be addressed by Modi, Speaker Om Birla, and leaders of Opposition of both Houses, the lawmakers will move to the new building that was inaugurated in May.

The Opposition questioned the purpose of the session and said though initially it was stated the five-day session would be a special session, there was no mention of it in the agenda that was circulated.

Traditionally, Parliament meets three times every year, for the budget, monsoon, and winter sessions. According to the Constitution, the President can summon each House of Parliament to meet from time to time but the gap between two sessions should not be more than six months.

The government has given out a tentative list of legislative business that will be taken up which includes the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023, the Post Office Bill, 2023, and the Chief Election Commissioner, Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023.