E-Paper
Day before Parliament's monsoon session, all-party meeting today
The monsoon session of the Parliament is expected to be quite stormy, with the Opposition gearing up to corner the ruling BJP-led NDA government on a host of issues -- including the rise in petrol and diesel prices, the alleged Covid-19 mismanagement, and vaccine deficiency.
A day before the Parliament convenes for its monsoon session, an all-party meeting will take place at 11am today (i.e. on Sunday, July 18), said officials familiar with the matter. The meeting, called by Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, is also expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported news agency ANI.
Also Read | Pralhad Joshi calls all-party meeting day before monsoon session begins
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will also chair a meeting on Sunday with all the floor leaders of the Lower House of the Parliament.
Such meetings are customary before every session of the Parliament to ensure its smooth proceedings.
The monsoon session of the Parliament is scheduled to start tomorrow (i.e. from Monday, July 19). It will be the first session after the second wave of the deadly coronavirus disease (Covid-19) broke out in the country. The session is expected to conclude on August 13, with 19 days of business.
The monsoon session of the Parliament is expected to be quite stormy, with the Opposition gearing up to corner the ruling BJP-led NDA government on a host of issues -- including the rise in petrol and diesel prices, the alleged Covid-19 mismanagement, and vaccine deficiency.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders met earlier this week on Tuesday to deliberate upon monsoon session proceedings, ANI reported, adding that the meeting took place at the residence of Union defence minister Rajnath Singh. It was attended by BJP national president JP Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, Pralhad Joshi, and Arjun Ram Meghwal. An executive meeting of the BJP's Parliamentary party is also expected on Sunday, according to ANI.
Also Read | The political drivers of the monsoon session
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took stock of Covid-19 related preparations earlier this week, ahead of the Parliament beginning its monsoon session. "In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, all arrangements to adhere to preventive norms will be followed during the monsoon session," Birla said at a press conference.
Those who have not been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the premises of Parliament during the session, he added.
