The Centre and the Opposition, which are at loggerheads on the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh, may sit together to end the impasse in the Rajya Sabha when Parliament resumes after Christmas break on Wednesday. The Winter Session began on December 15 and is scheduled to conclude on January 5, 2018, with only five probable working days to pass Bills and discuss on certain issues.
Both sides are likely to talk and work out a resolution to end the stalemate in Parliament over Modi’s “conspiracy-with-Pakistan” remarks made during Gujarat poll campaign against his predecessor, sources said.
Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has also negotiated a resolution of the issue by calling upon both sides to sit and find a solution, they said. The House last week witnessed heated exchanges between the Opposition and the Government over the allegations leveled by Modi against Singh with the Congress demanding an apology from Modi.
Sources said the Government and the Congress are keen on ending the current impasse in the Rajya Sabha, which saw a washout of proceedings in the first week of the Winter Session. While the Congress is sticking to its guns seeking an apology or clarification from the Prime Minister over his remarks, the Government is not ready for it. The last week’s proceedings were washed out due to the stalemate. The House functioned normally only one day when the Companies Amendment Bill was passed.
There have been a few meetings between leader of the House Arun Jaitley and leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, separately as well as in Naidu’s presence. Sources said the Government is keen on introducing clear the controversial bill on triple talaq in the Parliament within the next few sittings. “The Government intends to get the statute passed in the current session of Parliament ending first week of January,” said sources.
The Session is important for NDA because the Centre is planning to bring a bill to end the practice of instant triple talaq, and another on the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). The latter is expected to be reintroduced to grant constitutional status to NCBC. The Government is also planning to bring Bills to replace three ordinances — The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States), 2017, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment), and The Indian Forest Act (Amendment).