The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day in view of the death of two sitting members since the last session — Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, 61, and Congress MP Pallavi Govardhan Reddy, 80.
Parliamentarians will present outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee with a coffee table book on Sunday next as a farewell gift as a mark of their respect and gratitude. The farewell will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament House, where Mukherjee's successor will be sworn in on July 25.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that the book will be placed in the Central Hall for all MPs to append their signatures for four days up to July 20. Mahajan also visited Central Hall to sign the book, after adjourning the House for the day as a mark of respect for late BJP member Vinod Khanna, 70, who died on April 27.
The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day in view of the death of two sitting members since the last session — Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, 61, and Congress MP Pallavi Govardhan Reddy, 80.
Terming the start of the session as "very significant", Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that the monsoon session has thrown up an opportunity to elect a new President and Vice-President for the country. "It is my firm belief that the monsoon session will provide an opportunity to all political parties and MPs to enter into a high standard of debate, and to provide value addition for taking major decisions in the larger national interest," he said.
When PM Modi arrived at the Lok Sabha around five minutes before house proceedings began, he walked up to the Opposition benches to greet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and shook hands with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, all seated in the front row. He also greeted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and the party's MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, who were seated in the second row. He spoke briefly to Kharge and Mulayam Singh Yadav.
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