Namaskar friends,

This session of Parliament is very important. The country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom. Ordinary citizens from across India are pitching in by organizing several programs and taking steps to fulfill the dreams of the freedom fighters in the public and national interest during the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom. These stories are a good sign for the bright future of India.

Recently, the entire country made a resolution on Constitution Day to fulfill the spirit of the Constitution with a new resolution. In this context, all of us and every citizen of the country would like this session and subsequent sessions of Parliament to hold discussions in the interest of the country and find new ways for the development of the country according to the spirit of the freedom fighters and the Amrit Mahotsav of freedom. This session should be rich in ideas and positive debates should have far-reaching impact. I hope the Parliament should be judged how it functions and its significant contributions rather than who disrupted Parliament forcefully. This cannot be the benchmark. The benchmark would be how many hours the Parliament worked and how much positive work was done. The government is willing to discuss every issue with an open mind. The government is ready to answer every question. And we would like that there should be questions in Parliament and peace should also prevail.

Voices against government policies should be forceful but the dignity of Parliament and the Chair should be upheld. We should maintain the sort of conduct that will inspire younger generations. Since the last session, the country has administered more than 100 crore Covid vaccine doses and we are now moving fast towards the figure of 150 crores. We should be alert to the new variant. I also request all the members of Parliament and to you also to be alert, because everyone’s health is our priority in this hour of crisis.

A scheme to provide food grains free of cost under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana is going on so that more than 80 crore citizens of the country do not suffer any more during this Corona period. Now it has been extended till March 2022. The scheme costing about 2.60 lakh crore rupees takes care of the concerns of more than 80 crore countrymen so that the stove of the poor keeps on burning. I hope we take expeditious decisions together in the interest of the country in this session and fulfill the wishes and expectations of the common man. This is my expectation. Thank you very much.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/SH/VK/AK