Parliament opens today, turbulent session on cards

SECOND LEG Delhi violence, ‘interference’ in judiciary may come up

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties said on Sunday they will raise the issue of Delhi’s communal riots, which have killed at least 42 people and injured about 350 others, and seek answers from the central government over alleged police lapses when the second leg of Parliament’s budget session begins on Monday.

The communal riot, Delhi’s worst in at least three decades, broke out last week, with clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups in several neighbourhoods of north-east Delhi leaving dozens dead. The Delhi Police were widely criticised for not acting against rioters on Monday and Tuesday – the 48 hours when the violence was at its peak.

The Congress is likely to submit adjournment motion notices in both Houses of Parliament on Monday, demanding a debate over the clashes in the national capital, a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity. Leaders of the Trinamool Congress, the CPI and the CPI(M) said they planned to raise the issue in Parliament and demand answers from home minister Amit Shah.

The Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the party will “strongly raise” the issue of the communal riots and demand Shah’s resignation over the

alleged police lapses. “The government has miserably failed to maintain law and order. I think there must be some sort of a nexus between the rioters and a section of police officials which resulted in gruesome killings and arson that has tarnished our image across the globe. This is a matter of serious concern for us,” he said.

While the Opposition also

plans to target the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the state of the economy and farm issues, government managers have prepared a list of about 25 bills, including those on labour reforms and surrogacy regulation, for passage, people aware of the developments said. The finance bill will also be passed during the session.