Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said that the Opposition will boycott President’s Address that will be delivered at Parliament on Day 1 of the Budget Session on Thursday, reports ANI.
“We’re issuing a statement from 16 political parties that we’re boycotting President’s Address that will be delivered at Parliament tomorrow. The major reason behind this decision is that the Bills (farm laws) were passed forcibly in House, without Opposition,” said Azad.
Also read: Farmers don’t understand farm laws or else ‘country would be on fire’, says Rahul Gandhi
The parties that will boycott the president’s address on Friday are the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, National Conference, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, Indian Union Muslim League, RSP, Peoples Democratic Party, MDMK, Kerala Congress (M) and the All India United Democratic Front.
Apart from the 16 opposition parties, AAP and Shiromani Akali Dal have said that they will also boycott President’s address in Parliament over farmers protest against the farm laws.
However, Biju Janta Dal (BJD) will attend the President’s address to raise all issues on the floor of both Houses of Parliament, informed party’s Rajya Sabha MP and Chief Whip Dr Sasmit Patra.
Farmers have been protesting against the farm laws, which were passed in Monsoon Session, for over two months now.
The Budget Session of Parliament will begin on Thursday and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February 1 amid the pandemic.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday made it compulsory for all the Parliamentarians and their respective staff to undergo RT-PCR Test. According to COVID-19 safety protocols, authorities are also directed to sanitise all the vehicles entering the Parliament.
Also read: Do you know why the Union Budget is now presented on Feb 1 at 11 am? Here’s the answer
The Union Budget holds tremendous significance after a COVID-19 pandemic crippled year of economic slowdown.
The Finance Minister had earlier said that this year’s budget will have some big announcements and the process being transformed into a complete paperless exercise.
The Budget session will conclude on April 8 with a recess in between from February 15 to march 8.
