With the UPA Government listing the controversial Communal Violence Bill, Women’s Reservation Bill and Reservation for SC/ST in Promotions Bill, the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament faces the threat of massive disruptions and washout.
At an all-party meeting convened by lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, the BJP strongly registered its protest against the Communal Violence Bill while the SP and RJD voiced their objections against the Women’s Reservation Bill. The Government’s decision to bring the Reservation for SC/ST in Promotions Bill has been backed by the BSP while its arch-rival SP has bitterly opposed the measure.
The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has listed around 38 Bills in all for the session. The Government may have listed the Communal Violence Bill, but the fact remains that it is still with the Standing Committee. Unless the Standing Committee clears it, the Government may not be able to table it. While the Women’s Reservation Bill has been approved by the Rajya Sabha and is pending in the lok Sabha, the lokpal Bill has been cleared by the lok Sabha and is pending in the Upper
House. With fresh changes in the lokpal Bill, it will have to be again passed by the lower House. The Samajwadi Party, whose support is crucial for the UPA Government, has threatened to disrupt Parliament if the Women’s Bill or the SC/ST Reservation in Promotion Bill is taken up. However, Meira Kumar said all parties have assured full cooperation in the smooth functioning of the House. She said the Women’s Bill has been pending for long and there is an increasing demand for its passage.
That the Winter Session would generate a lot of heat was also clear from the fact that the left parties want to bring an Adjournment Motion on price rise on the opening day itself. Similarly, the BJP is pressing for a debate on increased atrocities against women and internal security in the wake of the serial blasts in Patna during Narendra Modi’s rally.
Apart from the controversial Bills, all the Opposition parties, including DMK, demanded a debate on the JPC report on the 2G Scam. “The way the report was adopted with a thin margin and the number of dissent notes submitted and other issues will be raised in Parliament,” leader of Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters after an all-party meeting.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram is likely to meet both Swaraj and leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Wednesday to discuss the Insurance Bill and Direct Tax Code. The BJP has objections to the Government’s plans of increasing the FDI cap in insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties want the session to be extended as there are only 12 working days. As per the present time-table, the Winter Session begins on December 5 and ends on December 20. Sushma Swaraj said there was consensus among parties to extend the session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said a decision on this will be taken after consulting Rajya Sabha members as well as MPs from the North-East and the South. The Government has already declared that passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill and lokpal Bill will be its top priority.
Passage of the Telangana Bill could also see massive protests in Parliament. At the meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his Government was committed to the creation of Telangana. “Our Government is committed to the formation of Telangana and it will be our effort to make full use of due process of law to ensure that Telangana comes about,” Singh said while replying to a question on whether the Government will bring the Bill in the Winter Session.
The Cabinet is expected to finalise on Thursday the Bill related to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. However, the Telangana Bill has not been placed on the Government’s agenda as yet. Among the Bills listed for introduction are a Constitutional Amendment Bill on the India-Bangladesh land Boundary Agreement, the HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, the Coal Regulatory Authority Bill and the Public Debt Management Agency of India Bill. The Government has also listed for discussion and voting, supplementary demands for grants (general) and supplementary demands for grants (Railways) in its financial agenda for the Winter Session.