New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first address at the special session of the Parliament said India is poised for women-led development as he invoked Lord Ganesh, whom he termed as the remover of obstacles, soon after stepping into the new Parliament building on Tuesday.
He also said the day marks a new beginning of a glorious future. A significant part of his speech focused on women, who he said, are playing stellar roles in society. "Women's Reservation Bill was tabled during Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji's time but it could not be passed due to lack of consensus in Lok Sabha. God has chosen me for the noble deed. It's heartening to see women are excelling in every sector. I want to see women play pivotal roles in policymaking. Our government is focusing on women's empowerment," PM Modi said.
He spoke about burying the past glooms and taking the pledge to help India rise on the world stage. "On this day, I must pay to mention the name of Lok Manya Tilak, who spoke of independent India on Ganesh Chaturthi. Today, we're talking about making India a developed country.
In the Lok Sabha of the new Parliament building, he said, "Samvatsari is also celebrated today, this is a wonderful tradition. Today is the day when we say 'micchami dukkadam', this gives us the chance to apologise to someone we have hurt intentionally or unintentionally. I also want to say 'micchami dukkadam', to all the members of Parliament and the people of the country."
PM Modi spoke about 'sengol' which, he said, was linked to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru."Sengol is a symbol of unity. The sacred emblem, which has a link with Pandit Nehru, is being adorned at the new building," he said.
He paid respect to more than 30,000 labourers, who constructed the building. "I salute all those workers who toiled to shape the new parliament building. No words of appreciation are enough for their feat," PM Modi said.
