The budget session of Parliament began with an address by President Kovind, a customary speech delivered ahead of the commencement of the Budget.
The budget session of Parliament began on Friday with an address by President Ram Nath Kovind, a customary speech delivered ahead of the commencement of the Budget session. As many as 18 opposition parties have decided to boycott the President's address, in solidarity with the farmers agitating against the three farm laws.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a statement to the media, called for debate and discussion in Parliament. “The coming decade is vital for India’s progress. We have to remember the vision and dreams of the greats who fought for our nation’s freedom. Let there be detailed debate and discussions on the floor of Parliament,” he said.
The session commenced with the President's address and will be followed by the presentation of the Economic Survey. The Union Budget will be presented by Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. Both the houses will also debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address after the budget presentation.
President Kovind's address: Key points
1. "Joint session of Parliament amid Corona pandemic is essential. It's a new year and a new decade. We are also entering into the 75th year of Independence. Today all MPs are present here with message and trust that no matter how big the challenge is, we will not stop and India will not stop. Whenever India is united, it has achieved impossible goals," says President Kovind.
2. "In this fight against the pandemic, we have lost many people, including my predecessor, President Pranab Mukherjee, who also passed away during the pandemic. Six Members of Parliament also left us untimely because of Covid-19. I pay my humble tribute to all: President Kovind
3. "I am satisfied that the timely decision taken by my Government saved the lives of lakhs of citizens. Today, the number of new COVID cases is going down rapidly. The number of recoveries is very high," says President Kovind.
4. "Small and marginal farmers are also a priority for the govt. To support such farmers in their small expenses, around Rs 1,13,000 crores have been transferred directly to their accounts, under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
5. "Govt respects freedom of expression and protests. But what happened with the tricolour on Republic Day was very unfortunate. We need to respect law and order," says President Kovind.
6. "The national flag and a holy day like Republic Day were insulted in the past few days. The Constitution that provides us Freedom of Expression, is the same Constitution that teaches us that law & rules have to be followed seriously," says President Kovind.
7. "India is conducting world's largest vaccination drive against Covid-19, with two domestic vaccines. We're also distributing vaccines to different countries and being praised for it," says President Kovind.
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