Ahead of the Parliament monsoon session, which will commence on Wednesday in the backdrop of a sharp political divide, the opposition parties met on Monday to fine-tune their strategy. They will corner the government on various issues including unemployment, farm distress and attacks on backward communities and minorities.
In a role reversal of sorts, the opposition sought the government's assurance on Parliament functioning during the upcoming session, so that there can be a debate on critical issues of public importance.
“Last time also, the entire opposition wanted the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to function. But the government did not want Parliament to function. Allies of the ruling party obstructed business in the two houses,” said Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Azad, who addressed mediapersons after a meeting of opposition parties, said that they discussed issues to be raised in the monsoon session of the Parliament. Opposition leaders, he said, will convene for an all-party meet, called by the government, and put forth their views on these issues. “In Parliament, we will forcefully demand for a discussion on all these issues,” he said.
With less than a year left for the next Lok Sabha elections, the opposition looks to sharpen its attack on the Narendra Modi government, and is keen to corner it in Parliament. The opposition had moved a no-confidence motion against the government in the previous session, but it could not be taken up as the entire session was washed out.
All the participants of the opposition meet, which was attended by leaders of 13 parties, agreed that they wanted to see Parliament run smoothly, Azad said. Amongst the issues raised by the opposition leaders were unemployment, farm distress, atrocities on members of backward communities and minorities, growing incidence of lynching, and the issue of reservation for SC/ST communities and OBCs in universities.
Amongst the leaders present at the meeting were Congress' Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma and Jyotiraditya Scindia, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy of Trinamool Congress, BSP's Satish Mishra, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Misa Bharti of RJD, DMK leader T.K.S. Elangovan, Mohammed Salim of CPI(M), CPI National Secretary D. Raja, RSP's N.K. Premchandran, Jose K. Mani of Kerala Congress(M) and IUML's Kunhalikutty.