NEW DELHI: Stage is set for a tumultuous monsoon session starting Monday with several Opposition parties skipping a meeting of floor leaders called on Saturday by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The meeting aimed to discuss key issues to be taken up during the session and seek cooperation or smooth functioning of the House.
Leaders from Congress, DMK, YSRCP were in attendance while those skipping the meet in the Parliament House included TMC, TRS, Left parties, Shiv Sena, BJD, TDP, JMM, and national conference. Some of the parties said that they are unlikely to attend the meeting called by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu Sunday. The government will also hold an all party meeting Sunday.
The Opposition and government has already been at loggerheads over a new list of “unparliamentary” words released by the Lok Sabha secretariat. Words like ‘jumlajeevi’, ‘baal buddhi’, ‘Covid spreader’, ‘Snoopgate’ and even commonly used words like ‘ashamed’, ‘abused, ‘betrayed’, ‘corrupt’, ‘drama’, ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘incompetent’ have been listed as unparliametary.
The Opposition also protested against a circular saying that dharna, protests and religious activities are not allowed in the parliament compound. However, the Centre said that the order has been in place for several years and the Opposition is making an issue out of nothing. After the meeting, Birla said that he appealed to all party leaders to hold discussions on key issues currently facing the country. The discussion was held on allocation of time for the government’s legislative business and discussion on other issues.
The government has listed 24 bills for passing during the session that ends on August 12. The first day of the monsoon session will see voting for the presidential election and vice-presidential election voting next month.The Opposition during the meeting sought discussion on recently launched Agnipath scheme, unemployment, China’s intrusion in the Indian territory in Ladakh, inflation and agrarian crisis among others.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the opposition sought that sufficient time should be given to the Opposition in the House to raise issues.They also raised the issue of list of “unparliamentary” words released by the secretariat. Naidu will be meeting floor leaders of all parties in the upper house Sunday while an all party meeting has been called by the government to discuss the business during the session and seek cooperation from the other parties. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has also called for a meeting of all like-minded parties to discuss the strategy for the monsoon session and joint vice-presidential candidate.