NEW DELHI: The Opposition parties launched a scathing attack on the BJP government at an all-party meeting ahead of the Budget session on Tuesday. The Opposition asserted that an ‘unwritten dictatorship’ exists in the country and the government is misusing central agencies to hound the opposition.
Congress Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari targeted the government and said that an ‘unwritten dictatorship’ prevails. Tiwari, who represented the LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, accused the Centre of misusing probe agencies such as the CBI and the ED to target opposition leaders such as Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
He raised the issue of the ‘violent attack’ on the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi in Assam and the state government’s curbs on it. Tiwari said that he raised these issues after consulting Opposition parties.
The floor leaders of various parties attended the meeting chaired by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi at the Parliament House complex. Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay, DMK’s T R Baalu, Shiv Sena’s Rahul Shewale, Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani were present at the meeting. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Arjun Ram Meghwal also attended the meeting.
They raised the issue of the UGC’s draft guidelines for the “de-reservation” of posts in higher education institutions and alleged that it was a “conspiracy” to end the reservation given to SC, ST, and OBC categories. The opposition also raised the issue of unemployment, high inflation, agrarian distress, need for a nationwide caste census, and the situation in ethnic violence-hit Manipur. KC (M) leader Jose K Mani said that the rubber farmers are in distress owing to the policies of the government and demanded a fair remunerative price for natural rubber.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the finance minister should include the pending dues to West Bengal on account of various central schemes in the Interim Budget. Samajwadi Party leader S T Hassan demanded steps to strengthen the Places of Worship Act that freezes the status of religious places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947, and prohibits their conversion while ensuring the maintenance of their religious character.
Joshi described the interaction as “very cordial” and said that the government was ready to discuss every issue during the brief session.