Opposition parties led by the Congress have decided to stay away from parliament when President Ram Nath Kovind addresses both houses of parliament tomorrow. It is a constitutional requirement for the President to address both houses of parliament. In the address, the President usually outlines the government's agenda, achievements and plan for the coming year. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party MPs will not be part of tomorrow's opposition boycott.
The budget session of parliament will be conducted in two parts. The first phase of the session will begin tomorrow with President Kovind's address and end on February 15. The second phase will run from March 8 to April 8. The Union budget will be presented in parliament on February 1.
This will be the second time in a row when the opposition will stay away from the Presidential address. Last year, the opposition parties, barring the Bahujan Samaj Party, had staged their own programme in front of the Ambedkar statue, reading from the constitution and preamble in support of those opposing the citizenship law.
This year, the opposition parties, who are divided and fighting each other in states, will make a joint statement in solidarity with farmers protesting the controversial new agricultural laws and other issues to boycott the Presidential address, Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said.
Meanwhile, 16 opposition parties have demanded a probe into the centre's role in the violence on Republic Day in Delhi during the farmers' protest, Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
Opposition parties will not be holding a symbolic protest as they have to maintain social distancing during the pandemic. Apart from this, many opposition party MPs, such as those from the DMK and the Trinamool, are preoccupied with state elections and their physical presence will be difficult. It was decided then in order to maintain the sanctity of the Presidential address , they would not resort to shouting of slogans and holding up posters, and instead, simply boycott the President's address.
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