Parliament's Budget session is likely to get off to a stormy start on Friday with Opposition parties demanding a discussion on the alleged mismanagement of the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj where 30 pilgrims were killed in a stampede.
At the all party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the eve of the Parliament session, opposition parties also accused the government of politicising the parliamentary committees and trying to push its agenda by using its majority.
The Budget session starts on Friday with President Droupadi Murmu addressing both the Houses of Parliament assembled together in the Lok Sabha. After the President's address, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha separately.
Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Saturday for the eighth consecutive time.
At the all party meeting, the opposition accused the BJP-led government of politicisation of the Kumbh congregation and prevalence of VIP culture at the cost of the common man.
The opposition parties also alleged that the government is steam-rolling its agenda in parliamentary panels and having disregard for parliamentary procedure of finalising House business at the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee.
"We expressed our concerns over the biased manner in the conduct of Parliament proceedings," Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, told reporters here.
A section of the opposition leaders questioned the government over the publication of a parliamentary bulletin on the number of days allotted for discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, contending that this was the prerogative of the Business Advisory Committee.
"We have taken note of their concerns. The Business Advisory Committee will decide which issues will be taken up for discussion. We hope for a smooth and productive Budget session. Cooperation from all parties is essential for a meaningful and constructive parliamentary session," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
The government has listed 16 Bills, besides the financial business, for the Budget session which will be held from January 31 to February 13 before breaking for recess to examine the Budget proposals.
The session will reconvene on March 10 and continue till April 4.
The all-party meeting was attended by Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi and Pramod Tewari, Trinamool Congress leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien, Revolutionary Socialist Party leader N K Premachandran, Biju Janata Dal leader Sasmit Patra, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader TR Baalu, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Mahua Maji, and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Fouzia Khan, among others.
The 16 Bills listed for the Budget session include the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, The Railways (Amendment) Bill, The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, and The Immigration and Foreigners Bill.
Asked about the opposition's demand for a discussion on the stampede at the Maha Kumbh, Rijiju said the decision will be taken by the committee.
"There are many important issues...the Kumbh was also mentioned," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said opposition leaders have decided that the INDIA bloc will raise all issues together during the Budget session.
Emerging from the all-party meeting convened by the government on the eve of the session, Tiwari also slammed the "politicisation of the Kumbh", saying VIP movement during the event was creating difficulties for the common man.
BJD leader Sasmit Patra accused the BJP of going back on its promise of granting special state to Odisha.
Indian Union Muslim League leader ET Mohammed Basheer said he raised the issue of the weakening of the law-making process in the country.
"The JPC on Waqf was constituted to have discussion, but members were not given enough opportunity to speak," Basheer said.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member M Thambi Durai wanted the government to make efforts to regain control over Katchetheevu island.
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