The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha in the new building of the Parliament today.

Addressing the House, the Prime Minister said that today is the historic first session in the New Parliament Building and conveyed his best wishes on the occasion. He expressed gratitude towards the Speaker for giving him the opportunity to address the House on the Special Session on the very first day of the New Parliament and extended a warm welcome to the Members of the House. Highlighting the importance of the occasion, the Prime Minister remarked that it is the dawn of the Amrit Kaal as India is moving forward with a resolve for the future by heading into the new Parliament edifice. Highlighting the recent achievements, the Prime Minister mentioned the successes of Chandrayaan 3 in the science sector, and the organization of G20 and its impact on the global level. He remarked that a unique opportunity presents itself to India, and in this light, the New Parliament building of the nation is becoming functional today. Referring to the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, the Prime Minister said that Lord Ganesh is the God of prosperity, auspiciousness, reason and knowledge. “It is the time to accomplish the resolutions and begin the new journey with renewed enthusiasm and energy”, the Prime Minister added. Remembering Lokmanya Tilak on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and the new beginning, the Prime Minister said that during the Freedom Struggle, Lokmanya Tilak converted Ganesh Chaturthi into a medium of igniting the flame of Swaraj in the entire country. Today we are moving with the same inspiration, Shri Modi said. 

The Prime Minister also mentioned that today is also Samvatsari Parva, a festival of forgiveness. The Prime Minister elaborated that this festival is about asking for forgiveness for any intentional and unintentional acts that might have hurt somebody. The Prime Minister also said Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ to everyone in the spirit of the festival and asked to move forward, leaving behind all the bitterness of the past. 

The Prime Minister mentioned the presence of sacred Sengol as a link between the old and new and as a witness to the first light of freedom. He said that this sacred Sengol was touched by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Therefore, Sengol links us with a very important part of our past, Shri Modi said.  

The Prime Minister said that the grandeur of the New Building anoints the Amrit Kaal and remembered the hard work of the Shramiks and engineers who kept on working on the building even during the pandemic. The Prime Minister led the applause for these sharmiks and engineers by the entire House. He informed that more than 30 thousand Sharmiks contributed to the building and mentioned the presence of a digital book carrying the full details of the shramiks. 

Talking about the impact of emotions and feelings on our actions, the Prime Minister said that our feelings today will guide us in our conduct. He said, “Bhawan (building) has changed, Bhav (feelings) should also change”.

“The Parliament is the supreme position to serve the country”, the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that the House is not meant for the benefit of any political party, but only for the development of the nation. As Members, the Prime Minister said that we must uphold the spirit of the Constitution with our words, thoughts and actions. Shri Modi assured the Speaker that every Member will live up to the expectations and aspirations of the House and work under his guidance. The Prime Minister emphasized that the behavior of the Members in the House will be one of the factors that determine if they will be part of the ruling dispensation or the opposition as all proceedings are taking place in the eyes of the public.

Stressing the need for collective dialogue and action for the general welfare, the Prime Minister emphasized the unity of goals. “All of us should follow the Lakshaman Rekha of parliamentary traditions”, the Prime Minister said. 

Underling the role of politics in the effective transformation of society, the Prime Minister focussed on the contribution of Indian women in sectors ranging from space to sports. He recalled how the world embraced the concept of women-led development during the G20. He said that the government’s steps in this direction have been meaningful in this direction. He said that among 50 crore beneficiaries of the Jan Dhan Scheme, most of the accounts belonged to women. He also mentioned benefits for women in schemes like Mudra Yojana, PM Avaas Yojana, 

Noting that there comes a time in the developmental journey of any nation when history is created, the Prime Minister said that today’s occasion is India’s moment in its development journey when history is being written. Throwing light on the discussions and deliberations in the Parliament on the reservation of women, the Prime Minister informed that the first bill on this issue was first introduced in 1996. He said that it was introduced in the House several times during Atal Ji’s tenure but it could not garner the required support in numbers to turn the dreams of women into reality. “I believe God has chosen me to get this work done”, Shri Modi interjected, as he informed that the Union Cabinet had decided to give a go-ahead to the Reservation of Women in Parliament Bill. “This historic day of 19th September 2023 is going to be immortal in the history of India”, the Prime Minister underlined. Observing the growing contributions of women in every sector, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for the inclusion of more women in policy-making so that their contributions to the nation increase further. He urged the members to open the doors of opportunities for women on this historic day. 

“Taking forward the resolution of women-led development, our government is today presenting a major Constitutional Amendment Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to expand the participation of women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas. Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam will further strengthen our democracy. I congratulate the mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation for Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam. I assure all the mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation that we are committed to making this bill into law. I request as well as urge all the colleagues in this House as a pious auspicious beginning is being made, if this Bill becomes Law with consensus then its power will magnify manifold. Therefore, I request both the Houses to pass the bill with full consensus ”, the Prime Minister concluded. 

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