Open to discuss all issues: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured an all-party meeting that the government is ready to discuss all issues, while the opposition raised concerns over economic slowdown and farm distress and strongly demanded that detained Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah be allowed to attend the House.

The Opposition demanded that the issues of economic slowdown, job loss, and farm distress must be discussed during the session, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

A number of leaders raised the issue of detention of National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and said he should be allowed to attend Lok Sabha. Sources said there was no definite response from the government on the issue.

"The prime minister, while responding to specific issues raised by the representatives of various political parties, said that the government would work together with all parties in a constructive manner to address pending legislations and frame policy solutions for specific issues related to environment and pollution, economy, agricultural sector and farmers," Parliamentary Affairs Ministry said in a statement. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, was cynical on the prime minister's assurance that the government is ready to discuss all issues, saying that when it comes to taking up issues such as unemployment, economic slowdown, condition of farmers in the House, the government takes a different stand.

The all-party meeting was also attended by BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot and several senior opposition leaders like Chowdhury, Azad and deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma.

TMC leader Derek O Brien, LJP leader Chirag Paswan and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Telugu Desam Party's Jayadev Galla and V Vijaysai Reddy of YSR Congress were among those present at the meeting.