The government, led by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, has organized an all-party meeting on July 21 in preparation for the upcoming Budget Session set to begin on July 22. The purpose of this meeting is to engage with the floor leaders of all political parties in Parliament to gain insights into the key issues they intend to address during the session. This move is significant as it anticipates the presence of Leader of Opposition and prominent Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, marking his first expected attendance at such an event.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament, comprising 19 sittings scheduled until August 12, will see the presentation of the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on its inaugural day. Alongside the budget, Sitharaman is also slated to introduce the Economic Survey to Parliament on July 22, setting the tone for the session. Additionally, the government aims to introduce several bills during the session, one of which is focused on replacing the outdated Aircraft Act with a more contemporary legislation.
However, amidst the planned discussions and preparations, sources from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have decided not to attend the all-party meeting on July 21 due to the observance of Martyrs Day. This day is commemorated annually in memory of 13 Congress supporters who lost their lives tragically in 1993 during a Kolkata Police firing incident. The incident occurred during a march to the state secretariat, Writers Buildings, at a time when the CPI(M)-led Left Front government was in power in West Bengal. In a separate development, former Odisha Chief Minister and current BJP leader Naveen Patnaik has instructed his party MPs to advocate for special category status for Odisha, emphasizing the regional concerns that will likely be discussed during the upcoming parliamentary sessions.