In a ceremonial event, the Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankar, hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday, one day before the commencement of the special parliamentary session.
Several dignitaries attended the flag hoisting ceremony, including Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, and Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V. Muraleedharan. Representatives from various political parties in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were also present.
However, Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, was notably absent from the event. Kharge, who is currently in Hyderabad for a two-day session of the newly formed Congress Working Committee, had expressed dissatisfaction in a letter to Rajya Sabha Secretary General Pramod Chandra Mody, citing disappointment over the delayed invitation.
In his letter, Kharge stated, “Dear P C Mody ji, 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 quite late in the evening.” He explained that since his schedule had been fixed well in advance, he was presently in Hyderabad and would return to Delhi late on September 17, making it infeasible for him to attend the event scheduled for the following morning.
Ahead of the special parliamentary session scheduled from September 18 to 22, a gathering of floor leaders from various political parties is set to take place at 4:30 pm. Minister Pralhad Joshi had previously announced the meeting in a social media post, noting that invitations had been sent to concerned leaders via email.
The parliamentary bulletin has clarified that the inaugural day of the special session will focus on commemorating Parliament’s 75-year journey. Additionally, the provisional agenda for the session includes deliberation and approval of the bill concerning the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners.
The Lok Sabha’s agenda for the session encompasses several bills, including ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023,’ ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023,’ and ‘The Post Office Bill, 2023,’ among other listed items of business. These bills had previously been approved by the Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023.
