Key Takeaways
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasizes the importance of consensus and debate in the 18th Lok Sabha.
- The Opposition has a crucial role to play in Parliament, serving as a check on the government and protecting citizens’ rights and freedoms.
- The Emergency in India was a period of national emergency declared by the Congress government in 1975, which suspended many constitutional rights and freedoms.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said all efforts will be made to move forward with “consensus” within the binds of the Constitution to serve the people of the country.
Sharing his remarks ahead of the 18th LoK Sabha session, which began today and will continue till July 3, Prime Minister Modi said: “May this session be a productive one. I hope the Opposition fullfils the responsibility as the opposition in the House and meets people’s expectations of debate and vigilance as opposed to disturbance and drama”.
For the first time in a decade, the BJP has not secured a majority in the lower house. The opposition has on several occasion pointed to it, trying to put the Modi3.0 government on the backfoot. PM Modi in response hit out at the Congress, reminding the nation of the Emergency “a blot on democracy”. He said on Tuesday (June 25), it will be completing 49 years since the entire nation was changed into a jail with rights and freedom usurped by the then Congress government.
“The new generation and future generation will never forgive them for the Emergency,” he said.
“The Opposition has disappointed so far, but I hope it will do justice to its role in Parliament. People want substance not slogans, they want debate, diligence not disturbance,” he said.
“The 18th Lok Sabha is starting today. The world’s largest election was conducted in a very grand and glorious manner… This election has also become very important because for the second time after independence” he further added.
Modi said, “The people of the country have given an opportunity to the government to serve for the third consecutive time ”
He added that first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be in the new building beginning a new era. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “In Parliamentary democracy, this is a glorious day…For the first time after independence, an oath taking ceremony is taking place at our own new Parliament building.”
