Miffed Congress MLAs may boycott biz panel meeting

Neena Sharma 

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, October 30 

Miffed Congress legislators  may play spoilsport for the BJP government by boycotting the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, jeopardising the upcoming Winter Session of the Assembly to be held at Bhararisain (Gairsain). 

The BJP has announced its decision to hold the session at Gairsain in December. The party will use all  its persuasive skills to ensure the  business committee,  which has three members from the Congress, attends the meeting and  approves the business agenda for the session. Without the business agenda, the government will be hardpressed to hold the session.  

The main grouse of the Opposition dates back to the last Budget Session held in May during which  it had charged the BJP government with imposing a new  business agenda which had not been approved by the business committee. 

Leader of the Opposition Indira Hridayesh had then  declared that unless the ruling BJP tendered an apology,  the Opposition would continue to boycott the meeting of the business committee. “We will continue to boycott the meeting, it is unfortunate that the government has not tendered an apology,” said Hridayesh. 

During the  Budget session in May, the Congress had charged the ruling BJP for surreptitiously bringing a new business agenda in which the recommendations of the standing committee on Lokayukta were included. “The new business agenda, which was not even brought before the business committee, was introduced in the House,” charged Hridayesh. 

However, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Pant said the government was committed to holding the Winter session at Gairsain. “Our colleagues in the Opposition know without their cooperation the House cannot be run. I will urge the leader to take a relook at her decision so that the issue can be resolved amicably,” said Pant. 

Their grouse

• The main grouse of the Opposition dates back to the last Budget session held in May during which it had charged the BJP government with imposing a new business agenda which had not been approved by the business committee.
• Leader of the Opposition Indira Hridayesh had then declared that unless the ruling BJP tendered an apology, the Opposition would continue to boycott the meeting of the business committee.