New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a rousing welcome by BJP members in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the first day of the second part of the Budget Session that began days after his party's impressive performance in the assembly polls. The prime minister entered the House minutes after the proceedings began and immediately all MPs belonging to the BJP gave him a standing ovation and thumped desks while chanting Modi, Modi.
All Union Ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, joined the ruling party MPs in welcoming the prime minister to the House. This is the first time that the House is meeting after the BJP's overwhelming victory in the recent series of assembly elections held in February-March. The BJP won in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur while the Aam Aadmi Party emerged victorious in Punjab.
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Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders were present in the House. Modi entered the House when Speaker Om Birla was speaking about a Parliamentary delegation from Austria which witnessed the proceedings of the House from a 'special box'.
After the prime minister, union ministers and the BJP MPs settled down, the Speaker, while welcoming the Austrian delegation, extended greetings of the House as well as the people of India to the Austrian Parliament, the Austrian government and the people of Austria. The delegation was led by President of the National Council of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka.
Birla said the team arrived in India on March 13 and have already visited Agra. They will proceed to Hyderabad before returning to Austria on March 17. The Speaker also informed the House about the death of three former members S Singaravadivel, H B Patil and Hemanand Biswal in the recent past. The House also paid tributes to the deceased members.
PTI
