Budget Session begins with President's address, Opposition creates ruckus

The Budget Session commenced on Friday with President Ram Nath Kovinds address to the joint sitting of Parliament amid 18 opposition parties boycotting the event and Congress member Ravneet Singh raising slogans against the government on farmers issueFollowing tradition the President began Budget Session 2021 with his address at 11 am at the Central Hall of Parliament highlighting the governments plan policy and vision for the next financial year as well as the steps taken during pandemicThe President condemned the farmers violent march on Republic Day and their attempt to dishonour the dignity of the Red Fort where Prime Minister unfurls Tricolour on Independence Day every yearVice President MVenkaiah Naidu also spoke on the event addressing the joint sitting of ParliamentEarlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media saying This Budget is a golden opportunity to fulfill dreams of freedom fightersThe two Houses later met separately for the tabling of the Presidents Address The Economic Survey was also tabled in both Houses during the 30minute sitting after paying obituary referencesBoth the Presidents address as well as the Economic Survey was tabled first in the Lok Sabha amid sloganeering by opposition parties against the three farm lawsLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla later adjourned the House till Monday the day when the Union Budget will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala SitharamanThe session is being held in two parts this year due to Covid19 pandemicThe first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to conclude on February 15 while the second part will commence on March 8 and is expected to end on April 8Given the Covid19 outbreak Parliament will sit in two shifts The morning session is dedicated to the Rajya Sabha while the Lok Sabha will sit in the eveningThe Rajya Sabha will sit from 9 am to 2 pm while the Lok Sabha will sit from 4 pm to 9 pm Zero Hour and Question Hour will also be heldAll Covid protocols will be followed during this session on the same lines as the Monsoon Session last yearFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget at 11 am on February 1The Lok Sabha shall hold 12 sittings and during the second phase of the session there will be 21 sittings of the House Question Hour Zero Hour will also be held during this sessionThe Bahujan Samaj Party and the Aam Aadmi party also joined the 16 opposition parties who boycotted the Presidents Address over the manner in which the three farm laws were passedThis is the second time in a row when the opposition stayed away from the Presidential Address Last year the opposition parties barring the Bahujan Samaj Party had staged their own programme in front of the Ambedkar statue reading from the constitution and preamble in support of those opposing the citizenship lawThis year the opposition parties who are divided and fighting each other in the states made a joint statement in solidarity with the farmers protesting against the controversial new agricultural laws and other issues to boycott the Presidential addressThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever