Opposition Raises Key Issues at All-Party Meet
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the government convened an all-party meeting on July 21st. The meeting saw the Opposition raise several key issues, including the demand for the Deputy Speaker's position for the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the NEET paper leak case, and the question paper leaks.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi emphasized the need for the Opposition to be allowed to raise issues in Parliament, responding to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's call for cooperation from all parties for the smooth functioning of the two Houses.
Other issues raised by the Opposition included the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial directive to eateries on the kanwar routes to display the owners' names, and the alleged targeting of YSR Congress leaders in Andhra Pradesh by the TDP government.
The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju.
Separately, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reported that in the all-party meeting, the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively. However, he noted that the TDP leader remained silent on the matter.
Ramesh also highlighted that the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda of the BJP's manifesto promise of special category status for Odisha during the 2014 assembly elections.
The Monsoon Session is set to commence on July 22nd, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget on July 23rd. The session will have 19 sittings till August 12th, during which the government is expected to present six bills and seek Parliament's approval for the budget of Jammu and Kashmir.
A united Opposition is expected to corner the NDA government on various issues, including the NEET paper leak case, railway safety, and the demand for special category status for several states.