Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm to facilitate MPs to vote in prez poll

The Monsoon session of the Lok Sabha began on Monday with obituary references and new members taking oath, and was then adjourned till 2 pm so members could vote in the presidential poll.

As the House met for the first time in the Monsoon session of Parliament, three MPs, including veteran Bollywood actor and Trinamool Congress' Shatrughan Sinha, took oath as member of the Lok Sabha.

Speaker Om Birla then read out obituary references to three foreign leaders, including former Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe, and eight former members who passed away recently.

Birla said elections in India are celebrated as a festival. And since the election to the president was underway, it should also be celebrated, he said.

Members should participate in the festival, the speaker said, and declared the House adjourned till 2 pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi were among those present in the House.