Dhankar hoists national flag at new Parliament building, calls it a 'historic moment'
Describing the flag hoisting ceremony at the new Parliament building as ‘historic’, Dhankar flanked by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said Bharat is witnessing an epochal change
Hoisting the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday (September 17), vice-president of India and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar described the moment as ‘historic’. Dhankar was flanked by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, as he hoisted the flag atop the "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building.
After the flag hoisting ceremony, Dhankar told reporters that the flag hoisting ceremony is indeed a "historic and milestone development".
“It is a historic moment. Bharat is witnessing epochal change,” he declared, adding that the world recognises the might, power and contribution of Bharat.“We are living in times, where we are witnessing development, achievements which we never dreamt of,” said Dhankhar.
This ceremonly was being held a day before the five-day special session of the Parliament, which may see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building.
The function was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union minister of parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, ministers of state of parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V Muraleedharan, and other leaders of political parties in both Houses.
The Congress president and leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, however was not present at the flag hoisting ceremony.
The absence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
On Saturday, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had expressed his disappointment about the delayed invite in a letter to the Rajya Sabha secretary general Pramod Chandra Mody.
He had said in his letter that he was writing it with “a sense of disappointment” that he received the flag hoisting function invite at New Parliament building only on September 15 and that too “quite late in the evening”.
Kharge explained that since the Congress Working Committee programme had been fixed much in advance, he was presently in Hyderabad to hold the meetings. “As I will return to Delhi late night on September 17, it will not be feasible for me to attend the function scheduled for tomorrow morning,” Kharge said in his letter.
All-party meet
Meanwhile, the meeting of the floor leaders of all political parties is scheduled for 4.30 pm on Sunday, just a day before the five-day special session of the Parliament from September 18 to 22.
Earlier this week, in a social media post, Pralhad Joshi had revealed that an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on September 17th at 4.30 pm, a day ahead of the special session of the Parliament. Also, he had added that the leaders had been informed through email and letters were to follow shortly.
This information came in the wake of intense speculation over the reason behind the government calling a special session. There were speculations that the session has been called to bring forward the date of the national elections. Also, there was also talk that the government was contemplating to change the name of India to Bharat.
Parliament's 75 year journey
Instead, a parliamentary bulletin revealed that the two houses will discuss Parliament’s 75-year journey on the first day. The tentative list of business for the Parliament Session includes the passing of the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners.
The Lok Sabha is also expected to take up 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023', 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023', and The Post office Bill, 2023 as well during this session.
