New Delhi, Nov 18 (IANS) The Congress may have done well in this month's by-elections but the government is bracing to face an opposition onslaught on a range of issues when parliament's winter session starts Thursday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties have made clear their intention to put the government on the mat over rising prices of essential commodities as well as farmers' issues.
"We will raise the telecommunications scam, corruption allegations against (former Jharkhand chief minister) Madhu Koda, price rise and issues concerning farmers," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told IANS.
The Left parties will go hammer and tongs against the government over the galloping cost of living besides the government decision to disinvest its share in profit-making public sector units.
"We will raise the issue of price rise on the very first day," said Basudeb Acharia, leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in the Lok Sabha.
Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said the government was prepared for a discussion on all issues affecting the common man.
He said that farmers were getting better returns for their produce under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and that may be one reason for rising prices. But hoarders have aggravated the crisis.
"It is for the state governments to take action against hoarders and black marketeers," Ahmed said.
The government has prepared a heavy legislative agenda for the session, which is likely to conclude Dec 21. This includes a bill on providing for 50 percent reservation for women in local bodies and equal opportunities commission bill apart from replacing four ordinances with Acts.
Law Minister M. Veerapa Moily has indicated that he wants to bring legislation to set up commercial courts and a judicial inquiry bill during the winter session.
The human resource ministry is in the process of seeking cabinet approval to table proposed laws to punish educational malpracitices and setting up tribunals to settle educational disputes.
Official sources said that the government may also table the Action Taken Report on the Liberhan Commission findings.
Some of the pending legislation include the communal violence bill, women's reservation bill and the motor vehicles amendment bill.
Official sources said other legislation slated to come up for discussion include the Foreign Trade Development (Amendment) Bill, Pension Fund Regulatory Authority Bill and the Transportation of Human Organ (Amendment) Bill. The government may also table its proposals for a direct tax code.
The Left is expected to highlight the alleged links of the Trinamool Congress with the Maoists in West Bengal. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool wants President's rule imposed in the state, and will step up its demand in the house.
The BJP, which is witnessing internal rumblings, is expected to pick on the row sparked by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind's appeal to Muslims not to sing the national song Vande Mataram. It will hit out at the government over allegations against Telecom Minister A Raja on spectrum allocation.