Cong demands convening of Parliament’s winter session
Parliament is set to have one of its shortest winter sessions since 1952, and the Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of running away from questions.
The Congress demanded the Centre announce dates for the session. The party’s spokesperson, Manish Tewari, said there was a timehonoured tradition of convening the session in the third week of November but the government was delaying it under the excuse that Gujarat Assembly elections were round the corner.
There was no word from the government. Senior members of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) said they were yet to be informed about the next meeting.
The body is headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. A member speculated the dates could be decided at the meeting of the Cabinet this week.
“Today is the 13th of November and there is no sign of the winter session,” Tewari said. “What is it that the NDA-BJP (National Democratic Alliance-Bharatiya Janata Party) government is so scared of that it is running away from convening Parliament session? There are vital and burning issues which loom over the national horizon.”
The Congress spokesperson said the government would be asked questions on a year of demonetisation, how it has impacted the economy, “failed implementation” of the goods and services tax, the situation in Jammu & Kashmir, “failed policy towards Pakistan” and Doklam. He said there were larger issues of the “disrespect” the government has for institutions like the Reserve Bank of India.