Govt holds all-party meet ahead of Budget Session

New Delhi: At the all-party meeting, which was called by the government for smooth functioning of the Budget Session of the Parliament, the Opposition parties highlighted that the issues of Adani stock, BBC documentary ban, interference of governors in the functioning of state governments, unemployment, etc should be discussed during the session. However, the government said that it was ‘willing’ to discuss every issue under rules during the Budget session of rliament and sought the support of the Opposition in running the proceedings smoothly.

Briefing the media after the all-party meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the government was willing to discuss every issue in Parliament under rules. “We seek the Opposition’s cooperation” in running the House smoothly, he said.

At the meet, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, RJD’s Manoj Jha, DMK, Left parties and others raised the Adani issue and sought discussion on it in Parliament during the session. The YSR Congress demanded a nationwide caste-based economic census at the meeting. It is necessary to know the economic status of backward castes who are “lagging behind” on social and development indicators, the YSR Congress leader Vijaysai Reddy said, adding that the backward castes are over 50 percent of the total population and the census will help find their economic status.

The ruling party in Andhra Pradesh has joined the likes of the Janata Dal-United and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, both of which have demanded a caste census. Reddy further said that his party also demanded the passage of the women’s quota bill ensuring reservation for them in Parliament. Parties including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Trinamool Congress, and the Biju Janata Dal also supported the demand.

On the stock manipulation issue, TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhay said, “We asked for a discussion on the same as we want clarity on the issue.”

Several Opposition parties also raised the issue of a governor’s overreach and interference in Opposition. Parties like TRS and DMK were more vocal on these issues.

“Cooperative federalism is a key to democracy and it’s a very important tool. Why should a government have to go to court to get its work done as the governor is constantly interfering in the matter? We have very strongly raised the pertinent issue in the meeting,” said TRS leader K Keshava Raao.

Deputy Leader of the House Rajnath Singh, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal, MoS Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan were among those present in the meeting. Leaders from the Congress was not present in the meeting due to the culmination of Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Budget session will begin from Tuesday with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess in between to examine the budget papers.