President’s speech laid on table of Lok Sabha, House adjourned for day

New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Wednesday after a copy of President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha was laid on the table of the House.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also announced a waiver in the rules to allow the president’s address to the joint sittings of the two houses to be held in the chamber of the Lok Sabha in the future.

As the Lok Sabha met after Murmu’s address, Birla took the consent of the House to give concession under Rule 384 of the ‘Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha’ and proposed that the chamber be used for the president’s address to the joint sittings.

Rule 384 says, “The Chamber of the House shall not be used for any purpose other than the sittings of the House”.

According to Article 87 of the Constitution, the president addresses the joint sittings of both Houses at the commencement of the first session of the year and also after a new Lok Sabha is constituted following elections.

On Wednesday, the president’s address was given in the chamber of the Lok Sabha, which was attended by members from both the Houses.

The Speaker also made obituary references to former Lok Sabha MP from Assam Bhadreswar Tanti, and Pratap Narayanrao Sonawane, who was a former Lok Sabha MP from Dhule, Maharashtra.

A report of the Committee of Privileges was also laid on the table of the House.

The Speaker then adjourned the House for the day.