Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday hoped constructive and positive work will be done in Budget Session of Parliament as the Opposition demanded debates on JNU row and Rohith Vemula incident at all-party meet convened by Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.
The ruling party and the Opposition agreed to pass a Bill without discussion in Rajya Sabha on delimitation exercise in West Bengal to grant voting rights to people who came to India from Bangladeshi enclaves, according to Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
The meeting saw the Opposition demanding a debate on the JNU row and the Rohith Vemula suicide, to which the Government replied, “We are willing to discuss JNU. Want entire nation to hear the debate in Parliament,” he said.
As the Government is cautiously optimistic of a smooth running of the session, beginning February 23, Congress Working Committee is to meet on February 22 to discuss current political situation ahead of Budget Session, according to Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi. The Congress is to strategise its approach to the various issues in the budget session, particularly the contentious GST, the constitutional amendment Bill pending in the upper house.
The all-party meeting was called to ensure smooth functioning of Rajya Sabha, which saw disruptions during last two sessions. Ansari rarely calls for such a meeting but the multiple disruptions in Rajya Sabha during the earlier session might have prompted this move.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister for State Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said the Government is ready to discuss all issues. He claimed that everybody was of the view that GST, Real Estate bill and other bills must be passed in the coming Budget Session.
The leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was present at the meeting, said that they will support developmental issues but will want a debate on JNU and other national issues. All the Bills which are necessary and important for growth and development of the country would get support on merit. At the same time, there are a number of issues like JNU issue, law and order in Delhi, he said need to be taken up in the Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Naidu would be calling a yet another all party meet on Monday where he would place the agenda for the budget session including all the bills for the considerations.