On the first day of the Budget Session of Parliament, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed a joint sitting of both houses.

A day before the start of the Budget session of Parliament, as many as 18 opposition parties, led by the Congress, the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the TMC, had decided on Thursday to boycott the president’s address in solidarity with the farmers protesting against the new farm laws.

Here are the highlights from President Kovind’s speech: 

– Joint session of Parliament amid the Coronavirus pandemic is essential.

– It’s a new year and a new decade and we’re also entering into the 75th yr of independence.

– Today all MPs are present here with message and trust that however tough be the challenge neither we nor India will stop.

– In this fight against the pandemic, we lost many citizens. Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away in this Corona period. Six MPs left us untimely due to COVID. I pay my tribute to all of them.

– I am satisfied that the timely decision taken by my Government saved the lives of lakhs of citizens. Today the number of new COVID cases is going down rapidly. The number of recoveries is very high.

– It is a matter of pride that India is running the biggest vaccination program in the world. Both vaccines of this program are made in India.

– In this crisis India shouldered its responsibility towards mankind and provided lakhs of doses of vaccines to several nations.

– The facilities of Ayushman Bharat Yojana can be availed in any of the 24,000 hospitals across the nation. The poor are getting medicines at very low costs at 7000 centres across the country, under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana.

– The national flag and a holy day like Republic Day were insulted in the past few days. The Constitution that provides us Freedom of Expression, is the same Constitution that teaches us that law and rules have to be followed seriously.

– After extensive deliberations, Parliament passed 7 months ago 3 important farm laws, says President Kovind.

– Insult of tricolour and Republic Day is very unfortunate, says President Kovind addressing joint sitting of Parliament.