The final session before the Lok Sabha polls, the Budget session of Parliament is set to kick off on Wednesday with President Droupadi Murmu delivering an address to both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in the new Parliament building. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the interim budget on February 1.
Ahead of the session, the government conducted an all-party meeting, adopting a conciliatory approach with the opposition. The government expressed its request to the presiding officers of both houses to lift the suspension of MPs, who had been suspended during the winter session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi informed reporters that all suspensions would be revoked, with the Speaker and Chairman agreeing to the request.6
During the winter session, an unprecedented 146 opposition MPs were suspended from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for “violating rules.” Joshi emphasized a conducive atmosphere in the all-party meeting, attended by 45 leaders from 30 parties, including the ruling BJP. He urged MPs not to bring placards, stating that this short session would be the last of the 17th Lok Sabha.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari highlighted inflation and unemployment as key issues to be raised by the party during the budget session. He also criticized the misuse of investigative agencies and raised concerns about the debt burden on the country. Tiwari responded to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s statement about “no more polls if PM Modi wins,” alleging the government’s lack of belief in democracy.
Congress MP K Suresh accused the BJP government of using central agencies as weapons against the opposition. TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay claimed that the government is avoiding answering questions. The budget session is scheduled to conclude on February 9.
In a separate development, the Committee of Privilege of Rajya Sabha held 11 suspended members guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the council. However, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar invoked his authority and revoked the suspension of all 11 members, enabling them to attend the President’s special address in the new Parliament building.