The special session of the parliament, which will begin on September 18, will be shifted to the new parliament building on the next day on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, reported news agency ANI citing sources.
According to a notice issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the forthcoming special session, slated for September 18th to September 22nd, will exclude Question Hour, Zero Hour, and private members’ business.
The special parliamentary session has left political parties perplexed, as the government has not provided any agenda for the five-day session. Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress parliamentary party, expressed her concerns by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the lack of transparency surrounding the special session due to the absence of a shared agenda.
The shifting of the parliament on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi holds special religious significance, especially among the Vedic faiths such as Hinduism and Jainism, adherents of whom consider it auspicious to start any new endeavour by invoking Lord Ganesha first. In Hindu tradition, the phrase ‘Shri Ganesh’ symbolises the commencement of something, particularly the initiation of something auspicious and favourable. It is a widely held belief that conducting an endeavor after worshipping Lord Ganesha leads to the successful resolution of any obstacles that may arise.
The new Parliament building saw its inauguration by Prime Minister Modi on 28 May 2023. Constructed at a total cost of ₹971 crore, the new state-of-the-art parliamentary facility symbolises the new India’s aspirations of growth and development. It can house 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 members in the Rajya Sabha. Notably, the monsoon session of Parliament took place in the old building, marking the upcoming special session as the inaugural event held in the new Parliament building.