Maneka Gandhi, Shibu Soren & Manmohan Singh to speak in joint sitting of Parl in new building

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Manmohan Singh, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader and Rajya Sabha member Shibu Soren and BJP Lok Sabha MP Maneka Gandhi are likely to speak during a function in Central Hall to commemorate the legacy of Parliament on Tuesday.

The function will mark the end of Parliamentary proceedings in the old building and then from 1:15 pm onwards, proceedings of both Houses will begin in the new Parliament building.

According to sources, after a group photo session of members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at 9:30 am, a function titled "Legacy of Parliament of India and Making Bharat Developed by 2047" will be held in the Central Hall between 11 am and 12:30 pm.

Sources informed that Singh being the senior-most MP in Rajya Sabha term-wise and Maneka Gandhi being the senior-most MP in Lok Sabha term-wise have been given the honour to speak at the function, where vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar, Speaker Om Birla and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present.

Modi will also address the function, sources said.

Soren is the most senior MP due to his tenure in both Houses combined and that is why he has been invited to speak at the function, sources added.

They said that apart from these, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and leader of opposition in the upper house Mallikarjun Kharge will also speak.

After this, the special session will resume in the new Parliament building at 1:15 pm.

Earlier today, the special session of Parliament began with a discussion on 75 years of Parliament, with Modi initiating the discussion.

The session is to continue till September 22.