New Delhi, Jul 6 (DHNS) : The opposition parties have decided to raise the issue of inflation during the Budget Session beginning on Monday to corner the government led by the BJP, which used to pounce on the previous UPA regime over the same issue.
At an all-party meeting convened by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Saturday, opposition parties agreed to take up the issues of food inflation and railway fare hike. Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee was among the opposition leaders who flagged the issue of price rise during the meeting and wanted it to be discussed first after the presentation of the rail and general budgets.
The Centre, too, is finding hard to curb inflation though it has initiated measures like putting onion and potato in essential commodities’ list to control rising prices.
After the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan separately said that the government was ready to allow discussion on all issues. Naidu appealed to the opposition to cooperate so that the proceedings run smoothly in both the Houses.
“The government is willing to give full time to discuss any issue. They are ready to discuss every issue. Different suggestions have come and they will be decided after the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee,” Mahajan said while pointing out that the meeting was cordial and everyone promised cooperation.
The session will see External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj making a statement in both the Houses on Indians held up in Iraq, including the safe return of nurses to the country, besides presentation of railway and general budgets as well as a budget for Delhi, which is under the President’s rule.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP patriarch L K Advani joined the leaders during the lunch. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia, BJD’s Bhartuhari Mahtab, CPM’s P Karunakaran and SP’s Dharmendra Yadav were present in the meeting.
Mahajan deflected questions on whether it has been decided to give the Leader of the Opposition status to the Congress as sought by them. Kharge on Thursday led a delegation of UPA members to the Speaker, seeking the slot on the basis of combined strength. The speaker said she had called the meeting to discuss business of the House.
Naidu, too, was evasive and said the matter was in the Speaker's domain. He, however, told a news channel that “Parliament has functioned well without LoP”, hinting that the government is not inclined to oblige to Congress’ request.
The speaker said, “The session will have 28 sittings and 168 working hours. Since the standing committees for various ministries are yet to be constituted, the demands for grants for various ministries will be passed by both houses by July 31 after discussion in Parliament instead of the committees.