NEW DELHI: With the Opposition set to corner the Centre on issues such as the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls, Waqf Bill, delimitation and the Trump administration’s tariff claims, the stage appears set for a rocky Parliament session, which begins on Monday.
In an indication that the showdown between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the delimitation exercise will find an echo in Parliament, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs passed a resolution on Sunday to raise the delimitation and alleged ‘Hindi imposition’ issues in the session.
The DMK has also resolved to coordinate with other parties on the issue, insisting that the population-based delimitation of Lok Sabha seats will result in a decline in the existing number of seats not just for the southern states but also others including Odisha and West Bengal.
The session may also see a showdown over the Waqf Amendment Bill, which the government is looking to pass in this session. Last week, the union cabinet approved 14 amendments proposed by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said the opposition INDIA bloc leaders will hold extensive consultation with other parties to oppose the Waqf bill.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said at an event last week that the government is keen on the early passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill as it will solve many issues of the Muslim community.
Another issue that will dominate the session is the duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers as the opposition is all set to corner the government over the issue.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken the lead in flagging the issue, following which the Election Commission declared that it would take corrective measures within the next three months. A ten-member delegation of TMC will meet the ECI in Delhi on Tuesday on the issue.
The TMC has also rallied other opposition parties, including the Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena-UBT, to raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament during the second part of the Budget session.
The EC had rejected the TMC’s claim that the voter lists were manipulated to allow voters from other states to exercise their franchise in West Bengal.
The Opposition will also raise the issue of fresh violence in Manipur, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to move a statutory resolution seeking Parliament approval for the proclamation of President's Rule in Manipur.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also scheduled to table the budget for Manipur on Monday. Manipur has been under President's Rule since February 13 after the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Ramesh said Congress will also raise the threat of reciprocal tariffs by US President Donald Trump and called for a bipartisan collective resolve to deal with the threats.
The second leg of the Budget session will end on April 4.