Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi stated on Saturday that the administration has asked all parties to keep the environment favorable for planned discussions during the next winter session of the Parliament. Following an all-party meeting, Joshi made a point of telling the reporters that the government is prepared to have talks on any topic.
Under the direction of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, an all-party conference was called today to plan the legislative agenda and make sure that the parliamentary processes run smoothly during the next session. The opposition leaders brought up concerns about price increases, the “misuse” of probe agencies, and Manipur in addition to demanding that the three legislation aiming to overhaul criminal laws be named in English.
The minister stated, “We asked that the environment for organized discussions be preserved.” “Rules and procedures should be followed when holding the conversations…The government is prepared to have conversations about every topic.The government is prepared for a formal discussion,” he continued.
Joshi stated that two financial items and nineteen bills were being examined.
With 15 sittings planned until December 22, the Parliament is expected to see another turbulent session on a number of contentious matters, including the possible expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a “cash-for-query” case.
Congress’s Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Speaker Om Birla on Saturday on the Ethics Committee’s proceedings against Mahua Moitra ahead of the parliament session, demanding a review of the procedures and guidelines of parliamentary committees. Chowdhury claimed in his four-page letter that the functions intended for the Ethics Committee and the Privileges Committee are not clearly defined, particularly with regard to the use of criminal authority.
Chowdhury wrote in his letter, “I am writing with the primary intention of placing before you my views, which are being made in my personal capacity, on the need for having a relook and appropriately reviewing and recasting the rules and processes that relate to the functioning of parliamentary committees that are primarily concerned with the interests and rights of Members of Lok Sabha viz, Privileges Committee, Ethics Committee, etc.”
Mayawati, the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), said that during the meeting, her party reaffirmed its demand for a national caste census.
“Now that the demand for this is rising from every corner of the country, it is necessary for the central government to take immediate positive steps in this regard,” she said on social media. She also made a subtle jab at the Bihar grand coalition, characterizing as “half-hearted” the endeavor by “various state governments” to carry out a caste survey.
