Modi leads MPs to New Parliament building
It was a foot march of a different kind when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading the MPs and ministers, walked from the Central Hall of the old Parliament to the new. The pavement leading to the new building was earmarked with new metal-built road barriers, and the PM, flanked by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP chief JP Nadda, walked to the new building. Bustling with enthusiasm, not only the PM but also his ministers and MPs walked raising slogans such as ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also walked to the new Parliament, separately.
Women’s bill: BJP-Cong tug-of-war for credit
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday sought to give credit to his party for the women’s reservation bill but Home Minister Amit Shah refuted his claim, saying that the legislation brought by the Manmohan Singh government had lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha. Speaking in Lok Sabha, Chowdhury said a women’s reservation bill was first brought in 1989 by the then PM Rajiv Gandhi to ensure one-third reservation in local body elections. “Since then, the Congress has been trying to bring law to ensure one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies,” Chowdhury said.
In the clamour for group photo, BJP MP faints
Great enthusiasm was seen among the MPs for remaining seated in the front row. The members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha gathered in the inner courtyard of the old Parliament House on Tuesday for a group photograph. BJP MP Narhari Amin fainted during the group photography session due to the heat, and later, after recovering from the fainting spell, he was included in the group for the photography. For a few minutes, a piquant situation arose after he fainted, but other parliamentarians helped him to recover.