Parliament set to see a stormy Budget session

NEW DELHI: Seventeen opposition parties on Thursday announced that they will boycott President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to both houses of Parliament on Friday, the inaugural day of the Budget Session, to protest against three contentious farm laws passed by the Centre, setting the stage for a confrontation with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Only Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not take part in the boycott, which parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said the Opposition should reconsider.

“I appeal to leaders from all parties not to boycott the President’s address. The government is ready to discuss all issues threadbare and as much time as is required will be set aside when the business advisory committees of both Houses meet,” Joshi said.

Opposition parties intend to demand the repeal of the three farm laws passed in September that seek to ease restrictions in farm trade, allow traders to stockpile large quantities of food stocks for future sales and lay down a national framework for contract farming based on written agreements. Farmers say the laws will erode their bargaining power and leave them at the mercy of powerful agribusinesses. Opposition parties will use the Budget Session to target the government on its handling of the Covid-19-ravaged economy and the India-china border staff.the parties announced full support to farmers, claimed the government played a “nefarious role in orchestrating” the violence that marred protest rallies by farmers on Republic Day and said their main aim in the session would be to have the laws repealed.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will chair an all-party meeting on Friday, said that the session will offer “ample opportunity” for MPS to raise issues. “This will be a long session with Question Hour and Zero Hour.