Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building today (September 17). Vice President Dhankhar hoisted the flag atop "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also graced the occasion.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Union Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V Muraleedharan, and leaders of various parties in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were also present on the occasion.
The Vice President and the Lok Sabha Speaker met Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Ministers V Muraleedharan, Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Pramod Tiwari at the New Building of Parliament, after the flag hoisting ceremony.
'Historic moment'
Dhankhar termed the flag hosting as a 'historic moment'. "It is a historic moment. Bharat is witnessing epochal change. The world is in total recognition of might power and contribution of Bharat. We are living in times, where we are witnessing development, achievements which we never dreamt of," he said.
The flag hoisting ceremony was held a day before the five-day special Parliament session, scheduled to begin on September 18. This session might witness a transition of parliamentary proceedings from the old building to the adjacent new one.
Mallikarjun Kharge miss event
The Centre also sent an invitation to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for the tricolour program, however, the veteran Congress leader won't be able to attend the event.
On Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi's absence from the hoisting of the national flag, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says, "If I am not useful here, tell me I will leave...Concentrate on those who are present here... I am here, does it not suffice the media people."
Kharge on Saturday said he would not be able to attend the flag hoisting function in the new Parliament building on September 17 and expressed disappointment over getting the invite “quite late”. In a letter, Mallikarjun Kharge said that meetings of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee have been scheduled for 16th and 17th September in Hyderabad, therefore, it will not be feasible for him to attend flag hoisting function at the New Parliament building today.
"I am writing this letter with a sense of disappointment that I have received your invite for flag hoisting function tomorrow at New Parliament Building only on September 15, 2023, quite late in the evening," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said in his letter.
Kharge informed the Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody that meetings of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee have been scheduled for September 16 and 17 at Hyderabad.
The Congress president said the programmes had been fixed much in advance and he is currently in Hyderabad to hold meetings and will return to Delhi late on the night of September 17. "It will not be feasible for me to attend the function scheduled for tomorrow morning," Kharge said.
Special Parliament Session
The government has called an all-party meeting today to brief them and hear their views amid buzz over the agenda.
The Special Session will see a discussion on Parliament's 75-year journey, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha that first met on December 9, 1946.
According to the bulletin issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat for both the Houses -- the discussions will be on Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha — Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learning.
Four Bills including -- Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, the Advocates (Amendment) Bill and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, the Post Office Bill, Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 will also be taken up for consideration.
Usually, Budget, Monsoon and Winter sessions of Parliament are held every year. The Monsoon session was held in July-August while the Winter session is due in November-December. The Budget session has a fixed time of commencement from January end of every year. The gap between the two sessions cannot be more than six months.
(With agencies input)
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