All the political parties with a presence in Parliament have issued a whip to their Parliamentarians, directing them to ensure their presence during the five days of the special session convened next week. Party leaders from the ruling BJP, as well as Opposition benches comprising the Congress, the TMC, the RJD, and the Samajwadi Party, have issued whip to the MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The whip comes hours after the Centre “disclosed” the “tentative agenda” for the Special Session of Parliament starting on September 18.
However, two major constituents of the Opposition coalition, INDIA bloc — the Shiv Sena (Uddhav) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP — have not issued a whip.
Sources within said they are not likely to issue any such whip as Maharashtra is in a festive mood due to the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. In their one-line whip circulars, both the BJP and the Congress have stated that, in view of some key agenda items that may be brought up during the Special Session, all MPs from both Houses must be present on all days.
The Opposition has alleged that the Government may have some “hidden agenda” for the Special Session, as the announced issues have been described as “tentative”. They even earlier raised questions about the real agenda for the session. The Government has listed a discussion on the Parliamentary journey of the past 75 years and the passage of five Bills in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, which includes the controversial Bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners, introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session.
The Congress has asserted that the Opposition INDIA bloc will speak in “one voice” during the session.
“INDIA alliance parties are already speaking. We will speak in one voice not only at the all-party meeting but also during the five-day session. The agenda for the Special Session of Parliament has not been announced yet. I say this because, in the list of business, they have written a very sinister line... They have written that this is not an exhaustive list of business. So they will be up to dirty tricks and they can add some business last minute,” said Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh.
TMC leader Derek O’Brien said the full agenda has not been revealed yet and the Government may deploy some “dirty tricks” and add more business to the list.
“The agenda for the Special Session of Parliament has not been announced yet,” said O’Brien, a member of the Rajya Sabha.
“First they said they are discussing Parliament’s journey of 75 years. I asked them why they are bringing a Bill mocking Parliament and mocking the Constituent Assembly,” O’Brien said.
The agenda was published in the bulletins of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha late on Wednesday. The documents stated that on the first day, there will be a discussion in both the Houses on “Parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha”.
The tentative legislative business for the Lok Sabha listed four Bills, including the Advocates (Amendment) Bill and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill. The Bills listed for passage should not be taken as exhaustive, the bulletin said.
Derek raised concerns over the Bill that seeks to regulate the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners and said while the Government has listed a discussion on the 75-year journey of Parliament, they are also bringing a Bill and “mocking democracy”.
While Rajya Sabha member and RJD leader Manoj Jha said when the Session is announced, it is the moral responsibility of any Parliamentarian to be present in the House.
Shiv Sena leader and member of the Upper House Priyanka Chaturvedi said Maharashtra is in a festive mood now and party MPs will take turns to be present in Parliament since this is also the temple of democracy.
According to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, the Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners will be selected by a three-member panel headed by the Prime Minister and comprising the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Cabinet Minister. This is in contrast to a Supreme Court judgment of March this year which said the panel should comprise the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.