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New Delhi, Signs that Budget Session will make for as stormy a session as the previous two times that Parliament met emerged on Monday when Opposition accused the Central Government of “setting an agenda for disruption” at an all-party meeting.
The Opposition called the meeting called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu a “formality”, accusing the Modi government of not acting against leaders making “provocative” statements.
The first showdown between the ruling and the opposition benches is expected in Rajya Sabha on February 24, the first working day of the session when the JNU issue could come up for discussion.
The opposition looks set to corner the government, but the BJP feels it stands to gain by turning the debate into one between “patriots and anti-nationals,” as a party leader said.
The principal Opposition — the Congress — has already indicated that it would not make the government’s job easy: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge have said opposition will allow “on merit” the passage of only those Bills on which there is “general consensus” in the first half of the session.
“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.
He however evaded a direct reply when asked the party was willing to allow the Bills to be passed in the second half, saying only: “A view will be taken”.
The meeting saw a number of Opposition and BJP leaders demand an early debate simmering JNU row. CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury called the meeting a formality and said the central Government should earmark time to discuss all their issues. “If the government does not earmark time for these, there will be disruptions.”
He even said he saw similarities between current situation in the country and 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 BJP for last three-four sessions. The government creates a situation in the country that is responsible for disruption,” he said.
However Naidu called the meeting very positive and said parties had all agreed tat Parliament should function.
Naidu also said several regional parties felt they could not their issues due to repeated disruptions in Parliament.
“Smaller parties had a complaint that they are not being able to raise their issues due to disruption. Government is ready to discuss all issues including the JNU and the Dalit scholar suicide in Hyderabad University.”
The Budget Session begins on Tuesday.
Issues such the ongoing row at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in which a student leader has been arrested, a Dalit student’s suicide in Hyderabad on January 17 in which two Union Ministers have been accused of being involved, and a predawn terror strike on an Air Force base in Pathankot on January 2 are likely to make the session stormy.
The Budget Session will be crucial if the Central Government wants to stick to its original deadline of rolling out goods and services tax on April 1, 2016. However, the Central Government will Opposition’s support to push through the legislation in the Rajya Sabha, where it lacks numbers.
The Bill— touted to be a major tax reform — has so far eluded passage: principal opposition Congress opposes the Bill unless the government made a key concession — putting a constitutional cap on the tax on 18 per cent. The Central Government has so far refused to budge.
The government also intends to push through its labour reforms in the session.
