BJP national president Amit Shah (Express photo: Javed Raja/File)
BJP president Amit Shah will initiate the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha in Monday. This will be Shah’s debut speech in the Upper House, to which he was elected last year from Gujarat.
Shah will speak on the motion: “That the Members of the Rajya Sabha assembled in this Session are deeply grateful to the President for the Address which he has been pleased to deliver to both Houses of Parliament assembled together on January 29, 2018.” Rajya Sabha will discuss the motion of thanks over Monday and Tuesday. The House has decided to sit till 8 pm to make up for lost time.
There was speculation in the Winter Session that Shah would make his maiden speech in the House either on triple talaq or GST Bills. Discussion on the triple talaq Bill could not happen because of disruptions in House proceedings.
The Opposition wanted the Bill to be referred to a Select Committee but the government was not keen. The GST discussion did not happen either.
Shah’s talk about the President’s address will give him scope to speak about a broad range of issues as opposed to the limited remit of a discussion either on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Bill or the GST.
It would give him an opportunity to highlight the vision of the government and reiterate how those have been repeatedly endorsed by popular mandates.