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Opposition charting strategy to corner govt on farm laws, China, economy
A few opposition leaders have even suggested boycotting president kovind’s speech, while others are yet to decide.
Key Opposition leaders will meet virtually on Thursday, a day before the budget session starts, to chalk out a joint strategy to counter the government on three key issues -- the three controversial farm laws, the economic situation and the India-China border fracas.
Opposition parties including the Congress, the Left, the Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Aam Aadmi Party are likely to decide on a joint course of action and their protest plans may kick off on Friday itself, the first day of the budget session.
A section of the Opposition has suggested boycotting President Ram Nath Kovind’s speech, an unprecedented move, while another one has not yet warmed up to the idea.
Some wanted to show placards during the speech, but a senior opposition leader said on condition of anonymity that they soon realised that with “Opposition lawmakers seated in a scattered way across Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the Central Hall, this would not create the desired impact.”
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been in touch with CPIM chief Sitaram Yechury and some other Opposition leaders.
Meanwhile, in a letter to Nikhil Dey of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Gandhi has promised that the very first issue that Congress will raise when Parliament convenes is the farmers’ agitation.
The Opposition parties will demand for a repeal of the three controversial farm laws, echoing the demand for the farm groups protesting for over two months on Delhi borders against the laws hurriedly passed in Parliament in the monsoon session of 2020.
Opposition leaders claimed that they key non-BJP parties will remain united in this session .
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said: “Our meetings are yet to happen but our plan of action is decided.”
Yechury, a key figure in the Opposition camp, maintained that the “farmers issue will be a common ground for all Opposition parties. We will also demand for debates on the economic situation and the India-China border tension.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said that all bills and topic of debates will be decided at the business advisory committee meeting of the House after the session starts.
These are two committees headed by Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu and Om Birla to decide the weekly agenda of their respective Houses.
Both Opposition and treasury bench leaders are members of the committee.
In its recent Congress Working Committee meeting, the Congress passed a resolution on the farm laws, demanding the institution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee .
