PM attends all-party meeting ahead of Parliament session

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 16

A day before the budget session, an all-party meeting convened by the government was held Sunday in which the opposition demanded that issues such as farm distress, unemployment and drought should be debated upon in Parliament.

The meeting saw leaders of major political parties participate. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma of the Rajya Sabha, and K Suresh and Adhir Ranjan Choudhry of the Lok Sabha represented the Congress.

While the government put forth its legislative agenda, the Opposition parties raised other issues, including problems related of farmers and water availability.   

The Prime Minister has called a meeting of chiefs of all parties having representatives in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on June 19 to discuss "one nation, one election" issue, celebration of 75 years of India's Independence in 2022, 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary this year and issues of "aspirational districts", Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said after the meeting.

He said the PM has also called a meeting of MPs to discuss the issues on June 20.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Azad said that all those bills that are in the interest of the people "we are not opposed to them".

There should be a discussion on farmers’ distress, unemployment and drought, he said.

He also called for early conduct of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, currently under President's rule, asserting that if Lok Sabha polls can be held then why not state polls.

It appears that the Centre wants to run the state through the Governor's administration, he alleged.

TMC's O'Brien demanded that the Women's Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, be brought immediately in the session.

Session starts on Monday and ends on July 26. Newly elected Parliamentarians in Lok Sabha will be sworn in on Monday. Pro-tem speaker Virendra Kumar will administer swearing in of new members. Speaker for Lok Sabha will also be elected the same day.

President Ram Nath Kovind will address a joint sitting of Parliament on June 20, followed by a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President speech. With PTI