New Delhi/ June,17 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted by loud chants and thunderous applause this morning as he took oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha and told the opposition to forget about paksh and vipaksh (government and opposition) and think about issues with a nishpaksh (impartial) spirit and work in the larger interest of the country.
BJP lawmakers chanted “Modi, Modi” as PM Modi read out the oath in the lower house of the parliament. “I, Narendra Damodardas Modi, who has been appointed as the member of Lok Sabha, pledge that I would abide by constitution in delivering my duties,” PM Modi said.
Parliament’s first session started on Monday after the Lok Sabha elections led to BJP’s landslide victory and Modi government’s return to power at the centre . Several key bills will be introduced in the maiden session of the new parliaments including the one that would make the practice of Triple Talaq illegal.
Ahead of the parliament session, PM Modi asked the opposition not to bother about about numbers. “When we come to parliament, we should forget about paksh and vipaksh (government and opposition). We should think about issues with a nishpaksh (impartial) spirit and work in the larger interest of the nation,” he said.
“The opposition need not bother about their numbers. I hope they speak actively and participate in house proceedings,” he told the reporters before the parliament session began. The BJP-led NDA was elected with a huge majority for a second term in the recently held Lok Saha elections last month. PM Modi comfortably won in his constituency of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with over 6 lakh votes.
Among other lawmakers who took oath this morning were Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. As Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Textiles and Women and Child Development, took oath, PM Modi and Rajnath Singh, who were sitting behind, cheered for her.