Opposition parties will meet President Ram Nath Kovind at 5pm today. In the ongoing monsoon session, the opposition had locked horns with the Centre over farm bills, and also boycotted the proceedings in the house. News agency PTI reported that Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad will represent the dissenting parties in the meeting.
Initially, it was believed that five opposition leaders would meet the president. Around 16 opposition parties had submitted a memorandum to the president on these issues. Representatives of the five biggest opposition parties—Congress, TMC, SP, TRS and DMK—were expected to attend the meeting, but the TMC requested their spot be given to a smaller party, saying the fight against the farm bills was a united effort and did not depend on the number of MPs of a particular party in the house. It was then decided that a representative from either the Shiv Sena or the NCP will join the delegation. However, during a meeting of opposition Rajya Sabha MPs on Wednesday, it was decided that only Azad will attend the meeting, PTI reported. The opposition parties were unanimous that they did not want to leave any party out, but they also wanted to follow all COVID-19 protocols, they added.
Various opposition parties, including the Congress and the TMC, had boycotted the Lok Sabha on Tuesday in solidarity with the eight Rajya Sabha members who were suspended for unruly behaviour. Later, they were called by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for a meeting over a cup of tea. Birla said it made more sense to be present in the house rather than leaving it. However, his overtures were denied.
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury said all opposition parties were boycotting Parliament in solidarity with the Rajya Sabha members who were suspended on Monday. "You have compelled us to do so," Chowdhury said. Opposition parties, including the Congress, TMC, BSP and the TRS, walked out of the Lok Sabha. Chowdhury did not specify for how long the boycott would continue. Birla warned that members should not mention about the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. He said all references made by members would be removed from the records.
Rajeev Satav, Syed Naseer Hussain and Ripun Bora (Congress), Dola Sen and Derek O'Brien (TMC), K.K. Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem (CPM) and Sanjay Singh (AAP) were suspended after racuous scenes in the Rajya Sabha over the passage of the contested agricultural legislations. Several opposition parties, including AAP, TMC and the left parties, led by the Congress, walked out from the Rajya Sabha demanding that the suspension of the eight members be revoked.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government will consider revoking the suspension only after they apologise for their behaviour in the upper house. Some parties like the NCP, SP, Shiv Sena and RJD also walked out. Before the walkout, Azad demanded that the government bring a bill to ensure private players don't procure food grains below the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the government.
-Inputs from PTI
