President Droupadi Murmu will address the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. This would be her first address at the 18th Lok Sabha.
The President will also unveil the priorities of the newly-elected government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as per the norm which mandates the President address a joint sitting of both Houses in the first session of the Parliament every year.
Murmu, who will reach the Parliament in a procession from the Rashtrapati Bhawan, will receive a grand welcome. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive her along with presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at the Gaja Dwar of the Parliament building.
She will be escorted to the Lower House chamber with the traditional sceptre 'Sengol' in the lead.
In her speech, Murmu will outline the steps taken by the government the previous year and spell out priorities for the upcoming year. She will provide an overview of the Modi government's policies over the past 10 years, covering achievements in various sectors such as economy, defence, healthcare, education, and social welfare, among others.
After the speech, the ruling party will move a motion of thanks in both Houses of the Parliament which will be debated by members. Prime Minister Modi is likely to reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on July 2-3.
AAP to boycott address
The Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the President's address, said MP Sandeep Pathak. He told reporters on Thursday morning that the party will protest in the Rajya Sabha against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. "The President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise our voices. We did not have a discussion with the remaining parties of the INDIA alliance regarding this but our party will boycott the President's address," Pathak added.
