New Delhi, In wake of 18 opposition parties boycotting the President's address to the joint session of Parliament on Friday, Congress leader Manish Tewari demanded that the ceremony should be scrapped.

"Time has come to do away with the Ritual of President's address to joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament & Governor's address to Vidhan Sabha's.

"It is an inane recitation of a laundry list of Government's alleged achievements. A sheer waste of precious Legislative time," he said, in a tweet.

Following tradition, the Budget Session commenced on Friday with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of Parliament in the Central Hall, highlighting the government's plan, policy and vision for the next financial year as well as the steps taken during the pandemic.