I am with you: PM to NDA MPs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed concern over the repeated disruptions of parliamentary proceedings in the ongoing Monsoon Session and said the country has been unable to listen to the talented MPs elected in recent times.

The PM said this during a breakfast meeting with over 40 MPs from NDA constituents Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), Shiv Sena, Republican Party of India (Athawale), Rashtriya Lok Morcha, AIADMK and UPPL.  These remarks came amidst speculations about the introduction of amendments to the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) Bill and the Delimitation and Women’s Reservation Bills next week.

While 20 Lok Sabha members had left the TMC and joined the little-known NCPI in June, as many as six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs deserted that party and joined the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, taking Shiv Sena’s numbers to 13 in the Lower House. The NCPI has joined the NDA and the Shiv Sena continues to be a constituent of the ruling alliance.

The Muslim MPs of the NCPI — Khalilur Rahaman, Yusuf Pathan and Abu Taher Khan — who skipped the NDA parliamentary party meeting ‘Mangal Milan’ twice also attended the breakfast meeting. They had separately met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday. Those who attended the breakfast meeting with the Prime Minister included RPI (Athawale) chief and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Rashtriya Lok Morcha president and Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha, AIADMK leader M Thambi Durai, who is a Rajya Sabha member, and UPPL chief and Rajya Sabha member Pramod Boro.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda and BJP president Nitin Nabin were also present at the breakfast, which was a vegetarian affair along with desserts like payosh (kheer).

NCPI MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said they were “overwhelmed” seeing the prime minister’s knowledge, the way he treated them.

Modi is also learnt to have told the MPs that they should not worry about their needs for the development of their respective constituencies.  “I am with you. The NDA is a family. We stand with our constituent parties,” he is learnt to have told the MPs.

Modi also reportedly said that he stood not only with the NDA members but with every MP.

Shiv Sena RS member Jyoti Waghmare said Modi emphasised smooth functioning of Parliament and expressed concern over the repeated disruptions by the Opposition protests.

“The Prime Minister said those who are with the NDA for the last 20 years or even one year are all family members. He said we will work hard for the development of West Bengal and the eight northeastern States. We all will work together. This is a very good message he has given to us, we all will work together,” she told reporters at the Parliament House complex.

“The PM said due to the disruption in Parliament, the country could not listen to the talented and new MPs. He said the country’s issues should be discussed in Parliament,” he said.

NCPI leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the Prime Minister asked the MPs to do yoga regularly for maintaining good health.

Another NCPI MP Satabdi Roy said the PM welcomed all of them and interacted with each of the MPs present at the breakfast. Roy said Modi advised that those who crossed the age of 40 should practice yoga regularly and health check-up every year.

Since the Monsoon Session began on July 20, Lok Sabha proceedings have been repeatedly disrupted by Opposition protests. Six bills have been passed without discussion amid din.

The Opposition parties initially protested over the NEET paper leaks and alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple. They later pressed for a discussion on police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leak and also demanded the presence of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and their statements.

Meanwhile, the Government is making a fresh attempt for passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and redraw the Lok Sabha constituencies to increase its numbers to 816 in the ongoing Monsoon Session by reaching out to principal Opposition party Congress and NDA allies, nearly four months after a similar effort failed due to lack of numbers.

Last time, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill fell short of the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha, with 298 members voting in favour against 230 opposing it.

The Government’s numbers have since improved marginally. The NDA’s strength in the Lok Sabha now stands at 299 following the merger of seven Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Among the 20 NCPI MPs, three Muslim law makers remained non-committal about their allegiance towards NDA. However, in the eventuality of all 20 voting in favour of the bill, the government has assured the support of 319 votes. But it is still well short of the 360 votes required to pass a constitutional amendment based on the current effective strength of the House.