New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed hope the “growing stronger together” spirit of the GST will bring renewed enthusiasm to Parliament, and that political parties will engage in high standard of debate and provide value addition during the Monsoon Session.

A beaming and pepped up Mr Modi later mingled freely with Opposition leaders in Lok Sabha. Just before the House assembled for the first day of the Monsoon session, the Prime Minister with his senior Cabinet colleagues was seen walking up to Opposition benches and exchanged pleasantries with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and other MPs.

“After summer, the advent of first rain brings in a fresh new smell into the soil. Similarly, this Monsoon session will bring in a new spirit after the successful implementation of GST. Whenever political parties and the government take decisions keeping in mind the national interest, it shows their commitment towards the larger public good. It has been proved successfully with the implementation of GST. The GST spirit is about growing stronger together. I hope the same GST spirit prevails in this session,” the he said.

The session, he said, is significant due many reasons. “Nation completes seven decades of Independence on August 15, 2017. Quit India Movement turns 75 years on August 9, 2017. During this session, the nation gets an opportunity to elect the new President and the Vice-President. In a way, this period is full of many significant events for the nation,” he added.

Mr Modi, flanked by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar exchanged pleasantries with Ms Gandhi, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.