BJP sets the agenda for Parliament's Winter sesssion

With the Winter Session of Parliament less than a week away, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday gave notices to the Lok Sabha Speaker for discussion on the politically-sensitive issues of price rise, black money and the demand for formation of Telangana state.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has given notices for discussion on these two issues, along with two Calling Attention motions during the forthcoming Parliament session commencing on November 22.

"The Winter Session of Parliament begins on November 22. I have given notices for discussion on price rise and Telangana," Swaraj said on Twitter.

She said, "My party colleagues in Lok Sabha are submitting notices on corruption, black money, blockade in Manipur, flood, encephalitis, Centre-state relations, Kashmir, Indo-Pak relations and other important issues".

With BJP leader L K Advani's yatra focusing on the issue of corruption and black money, the party wants to take up the issue in a big way in Parliament.

The main opposition has already indicated that it would demand a separate discussion on the state of the economy, Indo-Pak relations in the wake of developments at the SAARC Summit in Maldives and the situation in Kashmir especially after the recent controversy over AFSPA.

The 2G spectrum issue will also be raised by the Left and the BJP. The latter has been demanding the sacking of Home Minister P Chidambaram, who was Finance Minister when the licenses were given.

"I am also giving notices for calling attention on the issues of excessive flouride in ground water in many parts of the country and on non-procurement of paddy in Maharashtra particularly in Gondia-Bhandara districts," Swaraj said.  

The first few days of the Winter Session are likely to see BJP-led NDA and the Left parties forcing adjournments of the two Houses as the government may not relent on suspension of Question Hour and discussion on some of these issues.