India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with the media inside the parliament premises upon his arrival on the first day of the budget session (Photo: REUTERS/Altaf Hussain)
In his remarks before the beginning of the Budget session of Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government would honour the tradition of not presenting a full Budget when the Lok Sabha elections are imminent.
He, however, said Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman would present a Budget with disha nirdeshak baatein, a blueprint of intent. The PM also detailed how, since the passage of the women’s reservation Bill, the last few months have manifested Nari Shakti (woman power).
His comments on the first day of the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha indicated confidence that his government would return for a third successive term.
“Usually, when the election time is near, the full Budget is not presented. We will also follow the same tradition and bring the full Budget before you after the formation of the new government. This time, the country’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Ji, will present her Budget to us tomorrow (Thursday) with some disha nirdeshak baatein. We will bring the full Budget before you after the formation of the new government,” the PM said. He said India’s journey of inclusive and comprehensive development would continue, propelled by the blessings of the people, concluding his speech with a “Ram Ram to all of you”.
Addressing the media from the steps of Parliament’s Hansa Dwar, the PM said this was, in a way, a festival of the women power, highlighting the passage of the women’s reservation Bill in the first session held in the new Parliament building and the women-led Republic Day Parade on January 26 celebrated woman power, as would President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of the two Houses on Wednesday, and Sitharaman presenting the Interim Budget on Thursday. In his speeches since the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) electoral wins in the Hindi heartland states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, the PM has said his government’s policies are devoted to the welfare of four castes — women, the poor, farmers, and youth.
Last week, at the 125th anniversary of Delhi’s Hindu College, Sitharaman had said the government would orient its policies towards improving the lot of women, the youth, farmers, and the poor. The BJP’s state governments in the three heartland states have, as part of “Modi’s guarantees”, either promised or rolled out schemes to ensure a monthly allowance for women.
The PM had a word of advice for those Opposition Members of Parliament who spent the last 10 years disrupting proceedings and indulging in “cheerharan” of democracy, habitually undermining democratic values. “As they gather for the final session today, they should ponder what they have achieved in the last decade. If you ask 100 people in your parliamentary constituency, none will remember or even know the names of those who consistently created uproar,” he said, imploring them to introspect.
However, the people will remember the MPs who offered constructive criticism, even if searing, or showed intellectual depth or flagged people’s concerns, he said.
“Conversely, individuals who contribute nothing but negativity, hooliganism, and mischief are seldom remembered,” Modi said.
The PM appealed to such MPs to avail of the opportunity the Budget session offered them to redeem themselves. “I urge all MPs not to let this chance slip away, to act in the country’s best interest, contribute their most-valuable ideas to the House, and infuse the nation with enthusiasm and excitement,” he said.
First Published: Jan 31 2024 | 8:08 PM IST
