The stage is set for a stormy session of Parliament, beginning on Tuesday, as the Government agreed to discuss all controversial issues, including that of the JNU crackdown at an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Monday.
There were straws in the wind for a steamy and tumultuous session ahead with the Opposition Congress taking tough postures against the Modi Government in the two-phased Budget Session, which would commence with the address of the President to the joint session of both the Houses.
A day before the opening of the session, Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the Government of “muzzling” voice of the Opposition, civil society and students and claimed that the Government seems “hell-bent” on destroying the spirit of enquiry, questioning, debate and dissent.
The Congress indicated it would not allow passage to any of the key and contentious Bills in the first phase of the Budget Session that would last until March 16. The party also went on to say that “a merit based” clearance would be given to those bills on which consensus has been arrived at between the two sides.
In the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu sought cooperation for early passage of long pending GST and Real Estate Bills as the Government asserted that it was as much concerned by recent incidents in different universities as any other party and urged Parliament to thoroughly discuss their causes and consequences and “show the way forward.”
Naidu assured the leaders that the Government would enable discussion on all issues. “These include demand for reservation of Jats, incidents in the JNU and related developments in a Delhi Court, suicide of Rohith Vemula, political events in Arunachal Pradesh”, said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.
The JNU row, which had generated lot of heat and allegations and counter-allegations across the political parties of all hues, could come up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha on February 24, the first working day of the two-phased Budget Session. The ruling BJP and the Opposition combine hope to turn the debate, veering around “nationalism”, to their advantage.
About 40 leaders of 26 parties in both the Houses of Parliament attended the meeting convened by Naidu and they “overwhelmingly” sought smooth functioning of Parliament during the Budget Session, according to Government sources.
The Minister said that the Government has prioritised 32 Business items for the Budget session which include 11 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha and one in the lok Sabha.
Naidu said the meeting was very positive and parties were in favour of running Parliament. He said a number of regional parties feel that they were not getting adequate time to raise their issues due to disruptions in Parliament.
“Some of parties said that with Parliament not functioning properly, other organs of the Constitution are tending to enter the domain of the legislature and this needs to be addressed,” sources said.
While the Congress was not keen on taking up any major legislative business, Naidu chose to flag the Government’s keenness to pass Bills like GST.
“GST Bill passed by the lok Sabha and as reported by the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha and the Real Estate (Development & Regulation) as reported by the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha are pending in the Upper House. There is widespread interest and enthusiasm over the passage of these two important Bills. The Government believes that it is time now to take forward these two legislations,” he said.
The Opposition, however, did not give encouraging response to Government’s overtures.
Dismissing the all-party meeting called as a mere “formality”, Opposition leaders maintained that the Prime Minister and the BJP have not taken action against a single leader making “provocative” statements and put the ball in the Government’s court for running the House.
“If the Government feels helpless to take action, it should authorise a committee of Opposition parties to take action against them,” said leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad, adding that the fact is Parliament is “vertically divided”. “No Opposition party is responsible for that and the “blame squarely lies with the ruling party, which has failed to rein in its people,” Azad said.
Giving indications that it will not allow passage of any key Bill in the first half of the session, Azad and leader of Congress in lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition will “on merit” allow the passage of only those Bills on which there is general consensus.
“Contentious Bills should not be brought. Bring only those Bills on which there is a general agreement. Bills like GST will not come in the first half of the session,” Kharge said.
When asked whether GST Bill can be passed in the second half of the session, he evaded a direct reply, saying a view will be taken then.
The meeting saw a number of Opposition as also BJP leaders demanding an early debate on the JNU row with CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury speaking of a “chilling parallel” to the current situation in the country with the one that led to rise of Fascism in Germany.
“The Government is setting the agenda for Parliament’s disruption even before its session has begun. We have seen this agenda of the BJP for last three-four sessions. The Government creates a situation in the country that is responsible for disruption,” he said.
Dismissing the meeting as a mere formality, Yechury, however, said the Government should earmark time to discuss all the issues. “If the Government does not earmark time for these, there will be disruptions.”
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandopadhyaye said the ruling party has an important role in running Parliament.