New Parliament is not just a new building but symbol of new beginning and it will infuse new energy in 140 crore Indians: PM Modi

New Delhi:   Sep 19, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Rajya Sabha can be a source of inspiration for the legislative bodies all over the country with regard to parliamentary probity. He was addressing the Rajya Sabha on the first day of proceedings in the New Parliament building today. The Prime Minister underlined the intentions of the makers of the Constitution that the upper House become a center for serious intellectual discussions rising above the ebb and flow of political discourse while giving direction to the nation. He said, New Parliament is not just a new building but is also a symbol of a new beginning. Mr Modi said, at the dawn of Amrit Kaal, this new building would infuse new energy into 140 crore Indians.

The Prime Minister said that the time has come to move with new thinking and style to meet the aspirations of the people and that will require expanding the scope of work and thought process.

Speaking about the decisions taken in the last nine years, the Prime Minister pointed out that touching upon the issues that have been pending for decades and were considered monumental was considered a huge mistake from the political standpoint, but his government took major strides in this direction even though it did not have the required numbers in the Rajya Sabha. Mr Modi expressed satisfaction that the issues were taken up and resolved for the betterment of the nation. He said the dignity of the Rajya Sabha was upheld not because of sheer numbers in the house but due to the dexterity and understanding. The Prime Minister said despite the changes in dispensations in a democratic setup efforts have been made to keep the national interest supreme.

Underlining Rajya Sabha’s role as House of the States, the Prime Minister said that in the era of cooperative federalism, the country has moved forward with great cooperation on many critical matters. He mentioned the Corona pandemic as an example of center-state cooperation. He also mentioned that the new building also represents the spirit of federalism as artifacts from states have found a place of prominence in the scheme of the new building.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said women belonging to SC, ST, and OBC communities get less chance in comparison to other sections of the women. He also alleged that the government is continuously working to weaken the federal structure. Mr. Kharge also alleged that the government is also not releasing timely grants to states. Objecting to Mr. Kharge’s remarks, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that his remarks with regard to women’s representation is objectionable and undermine the capabilities of women. On the issue of timely payment of GST compensation to States, the Finance Minister said, no money is pending. After Mr. Kharge’s remarks, the House was adjourned for the day.