Fate of key bills uncertain as Cong vows to resist; Monsoon session heads for washout
With only four days left in Parliament's Monsoon session, the fate of major bills on women's reservation, delimitation and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) remained uncertain Sunday, August 9, as the Congress and most allies vowed to oppose the legislation. None of the three bills figured in Monday's Lok Sabha business list.
The Constitution Amendment Bill, proposing 33 per cent women's reservation from 2029 and a redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies, was defeated in April for lack of a two-thirds majority. The FCRA Amendment Bill, introduced March 25, seeks tighter oversight of foreign-funded organisations and has drawn opposition from Christian groups and political parties alike.
AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal said in Alappuzha that the government should not attempt to push through the FCRA bill in the session's final days, calling it "unconstitutional and anti-people" and warning of strong protests if Home Minister Amit Shah tries to pass it.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recalled the 2023 Winter Session, when 146 MPs were suspended and several laws passed with minimal opposition, saying "history should not repeat itself."
The session, which began July 20, has seen repeated adjournments amid opposition protests over the NEET paper leak issue and demands for statements from Modi and Shah. Only a handful of bills have passed, mostly with little debate.
Government efforts to woo the opposition have had limited success. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Rahul Gandhi twice, but Gandhi insisted on an all-party meeting on the bills. DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin reaffirmed his party's opposition to delimitation, while the Shiromani Akali Dal extended support to the women's quota and delimitation bills, fuelling speculation of a return to the NDA.
NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule called it premature to comment on delimitation but opposed the FCRA bill in its current form, urging withdrawal or referral to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. She said an NCP (SP) delegation would meet the PM on Monday; the Congress asked her to convey the INDIA bloc's opposition to linking women's reservation with delimitation.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in April, 298-230, short of the required two-thirds. The NDA's Lok Sabha strength has since risen to 299, still short of the 360 votes needed.
The Congress has issued a three-day whip to its MPs from August 10-12 for "very important" issues.
(Inputs from PTI)
