PM Modi chairs key Union Cabinet meeting amid Parliament special session

Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and others met PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah ahead of the cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a key Union Cabinet meeting regarding the agenda for the ongoing special session of Parliament at the Annexe building on Monday evening. The meeting lasted over 100 minutes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a key Union Cabinet meeting regarding the agenda for the ongoing special session of Parliament.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and other ministers earlier met Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah ahead of the cabinet meeting, sources said. The agenda of the meeting is yet to be revealed.

The leaders during the meeting of INDIA bloc on Monday morning decided to continue with the floor coordination among the parties during the five-day session and corner the government on issues of price rise, unemployment, Manipur violence and Chinese transgressions on the border.

They also decided to press the government to allow discussions on issues related to Adani firms, farmers distress, economic situation in the country, and the caste census.

News agency PTI reported that the alliance decided to oppose the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners' appointment bill which has already been introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

Leaders of the Congress, TMC, RJD, NCP, left parties, JMM, Samajwadi Party, DM and VCK were among those who attended the meeting at the office of leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge at around 10am.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has already written to Modi about the absence of agenda for the special Parliament session, and proposing a list of issues she wanted a discussion on.

Earlier, Modi said this Parliament session may be short in duration but is big on occasion, and is of "historic decisions".

In his remarks to the media ahead of the five-day session, Modi noted that Parliament will move to the new building on Tuesday as he asked MPs to join proceedings with new enthusiasm while shedding old shortcomings, an apparent reference to frequent protests by opposition members during previous sessions, causing disruptions.

There will be a lot of time left for "rona dhona" (whining), he said in a jibe at the opposition which has been criticising the government over the session, which is unusual for its timing.

Earlier on Sunday, Joshi requested all parties for active cooperation and support for the smooth functioning of the two Houses of Parliament. The meeting of all the floor leaders of political parties in the Parliament was attended by various ministers and 51 leaders from 34 parties.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore also reacted to the all-party meeting and said that this government runs the Parliament in secrecy.

(With inputs from agencies)