The government held an all-party meeting to seek cooperation for the Monsoon Session. The Opposition plans to raise the NEET-UG paper leak, Delimitation Bill, and other issues, amid recent political realignments involving TMC and Shiv Sena MPs.

All-Party Meeting Convened Ahead of Monsoon Session

The government has convened an all-party meeting today, a day ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon Session, during which it will seek cooperation for the smooth functioning of Parliament. The meeting, a long-standing convention before every Parliament session, will begin at 11 am today in the Main Committee Room of Parliament House Annexe. The government has heavy legislative agenda while Opposition parties will seek to raise their issues.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva said the Prime Minister earlier used to attend all-party meetings. "Before every session, the government convenes a meeting with all party leaders and floor leaders. They discuss how the House will function and which bills are to be taken up. Every party expresses the issues they want to raise on the floor of the House. It has been a long-standing convention that the Prime Minister used to attend such meetings," he said. "Nowadays, the Prime Minister does not attend; only the Defence Minister attends these meetings. We have reposed our confidence that Parliament will function democratically. Every party will express its views. Tomorrow, we will come to know which bills will be taken up in the upcoming session and the stand of every party. We will decide our strategy accordingly..." Siva added.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday wrote to Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who are among of the 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs who joined the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI), inviting them to the all-party meeting. In his letter, Rijiju expressed hope for cooperation from all parties to ensure the smooth functioning of both Houses. He specifically requested Bandyopadhyay and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who has been nominated as the Chief Whip of the party, to attend the meeting. The TMC rebels had said earlier that they will support the NDA government.

Political Realignments and Party Splits

Trinamool Congress has witnessed turmoil after its defeat in the Assembly polls, with 20 of its MPs having merged with the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The demand of rebel MPs for separate sitting in Lok Sabha has been approved by the Speaker. There has been further "split" in Shiv Sena (UBT) with six of the party's MPs in the Lok Sabha joining Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Seven AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha had joined BJP earlier.

Opposition Gears Up to Corner Government

The monsoon session of Parliament will continue till August 13. Opposition parties are expected to demand resignation of Union Education Minister Dharemendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak and raise the issue of activist Sonam Wangchuk being shifted to a hospital from the protest site at Jantar Mantar. Congress had earlier accused the government of trying to engineer a tainted two-thirds majority in Parliament, asserting that it is unlikely to secure the required numbers. The party said that even if the government manages to get a two-thirds majority, it would be a disgraced one and an insult to the Constitution of India.

The party held the Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting earlier this week, which was presided over by the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Congress general secretary in charge communication Jairam Ramesh and MP Dr Naseer Hussain said that the Strategy Group discussed all the important issues and likely legislations that are expected to come during the 19-day Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

Delimitation Bill a Major Flashpoint

The Congress general secretary said that the party was expecting the Union Home Minister to try to bring the Delimitation Bill once again after it got badly defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17. He reiterated that Congress has and will always oppose the Delimitation Bill. In this context, he said that the party was working hard to ensure the unity of all the Opposition parties, which had voted against the Bill on April 17 and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the government. He said Congress leaders at the highest level, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were in touch with all the parties, including DMK and AAP.

Jairam Ramesh said the government is still well short of the two-thirds majority mark and is unlikely to reach it, particularly in the Lok Sabha. He alleged that the government had broken the TMC and the Shiv Sena(Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), which was an insult to the Constitution. Referring to the rebel TMC members joining the Nationalist Citizens' Party of India, the Congress leader said a party formed just three years ago has suddenly become the second-largest constituent group of the NDA, pushing the Telugu Desam Party to third place.

Key Issues on Congress's Agenda

Jairam Ramesh said the Congress will raise the issue of the theft of donations in the Ram Temple. "Chanda Chori, Aastha Dhokha" will be raised. He said issues of paper leaks, including the NEET-UG incident and other issues relating to the education sector will be raised. He reiterated the party's demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Congress, he added, will also raise "the E-20 scam".

Jairam Ramesh said that the Congress will also seek debate on foreign policy challenges particularly in context of China, US and the deteriorating situation in West Asia. He said, the new role assumed by Pakistan with the US support is a serious foreign policy setback and the party will seek discussion on it. The Congress general secretary said that there is no proposed legislation on which the party could support the government. On women's reservation, he said, let the government make a provision for one-third reservation for women within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha and the Congress will support it.

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