Monsoon Session: Cong to corner govt over China, Facebook, Covid

New Delhi: With the issues like border standoff with China in Ladakh, increase in unemployment, no transparency in PM Cares Fund and Facebook's alleged nexus with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the wagon of Congress, the Grand Old party is all set to corner the government in the upcoming Parliament's Monsoon Session, which is likely to commence from the second week of September.

The Monsoon Session, which will be first session after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, is set to be stormy as the Congress has planned to attack the government over the handling of the virus pandemic, economic crisis, unemployment and rural distress besides boarder stand-off with China and Facebook controversy.

According to a party insider, the Congress would demand a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the border row, especially after his remarks at the June 19 all-party meeting that there have been no intrusions by Chinese forces into Indian territory in Ladakh.

The Congress attacked Modi for refraining from naming China in his Independence Day speech, saying the government should tell the people how it proposes to push back the Chinese forces occupying Indian territory.

Military talks on reducing tensions along the disputed border in Ladakh have hit a roadblock with India adopting a tougher line in its efforts to restore status quo ante. The tensions escalated in June when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese troops.

The party would also raise its demand of a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Wall Street Journal report last week that claimed Facebook's Indian staff ignored its rules in handling hate speech by BJP politicians. The Congress has alleged an "unholy nexus" between Facebook and the BJP.

The party has also decided to take on the government over its "mishandling" of the Covid-19 pandemic. "When Rahul Gandhi had flagged the issue as early as February, BJP didn't take it seriously and Gandhi was ridiculed by the ruling party. The situation has become worst as we have become the third country in the world to cross over two million Covid-19 cases," the party leader said.

The monsoon session, which usually starts in mid-July, has been deferred due to the pandemic.