Special Parliament Session to begin with new uniforms for staff

NEW DELHI: Parliament staff will be seen in new uniforms as the Parliament Session begins next week starting September 18, according to sources.

As per sources, chamber attendants, officers, security personnel, drivers and marshals all will don new uniforms.

Khaki trousers, cream-coloured jackets, cream shirt with pink lotus motifs printed on them, bright coloured sarees with jackets for women and turbans for marshals figure in the new dress code.

Security personnel at the Parliament building, instead of safari suits, will now wear camouflage pattern clothes similar to those worn by military personnel.

The special session of Parliament will start in the old building on September 18 and will be later moved to the new building on September 19 on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The new Parliament building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, this year.

The new dress code for Parliament staff has meanwhile sparked a political debate, with the opposition Congress party raising concerns about the inclusion of a lotus motif on the clothes.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore posted on X, “Why lotus only? Why can’t peacock or why can’t tiger? Oh they’re not BJP party election symbol. Why this fall sir @ombirlakota?"

The Centre has called for a special session of Parliament for five days between September 18 and 22. Meanwhile, 24 parties of the INDIA bloc have agreed to participate in the special session of the Parliament.

The agenda for the special session has however not been revealed yet. The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building.

The announcement of the special session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year.