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Monsoon session: Manipur issue set to dominate House restart
The INDIA alliance partners will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s office at 10am on Monday to prepare a strategy for the second week.
After the first two days of the monsoon session were washed out, the second week’s proceedings remain uncertain as the government and the opposition INDIA alliance stuck to their positions over the debate on the Manipur situation in Parliament.
The Centre expressed its readiness to debate in both Houses with a reply by home minister Amit Shah, but the opposition wanted a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We are not considering the home minister’s reply. We want the Prime Minister to make a statement,” an opposition leader said, declining to be named.
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The government has a busy legislative schedule this week as it plans to pass the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the Lok Sabha on Monday. A bill to replace the Delhi ordinance might also be tabled in the Rajya Sabha during the week as the business advisory committee of the Upper House has allotted time for discussion.
The INDIA alliance partners will meet at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s office at 10am on Monday to prepare a strategy for the second week, said Congress MP Manickam Tagore, member of the party’s parliamentary strategy group.
“At 10.30am, about 300 INDIA MPs will stage a dharna (sit in) at Mahatma Gandhi’s statue (in the Parliament complex) over the Manipur issue. Thereafter, from 11am, we will demand the Prime Minister’s statement on Manipur,” said Derek O’ Brien, Trinamool Congress party’s Rajya Sabha floor leader. “Our demand is that the PM must open the discussion on Manipur in Parliament. The INDIA parties will work in unison on the floor of Parliament and in the precincts of Parliament.”
In the first two days, just one bill could be introduced, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha functioned 5% and 8% of their respective time, and no questions or issues could be raised during Question Hour or Zero Hour, according to PRS Legislative Research, an independent non-profit.
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Speaking at the centenary convocation of the Jamia Millia Islamia, vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar lashed out at the opposition for disrupting the parliamentary proceedings. “I am pained and anguished to indicate to you that disturbance and disruption have been weaponised as a strategic means to taint the temples of democracy that should be functional 24*7 to secure justice for the people at large,” he said.
“There can be no alibi for not making Parliament functional every second (and) people of this country are paying a huge price for it. But I’m not on the financial implication of it. I want the larger issue when there is disruption in Parliament on a particular day, there can’t be question hour, question our is a mechanism to generate accountability and transparency in governance. The government is obligated to respond to every question and to the supplements that are raised. This goes to enormous benefit of governance. Everyone is on track. Not having a question hour can never be rationalised,” he said.
On Monday, the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, is expected in the Lok Sabha for passage. The bill aims to make the Co-operative Election Authority to conduct and supervise polls to the boards of multistate co-operative societies, restrict power of family members in a cooperative and make prior permission of government authorities before the redemption of shareholding of members of such bodies.
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, a contentious legislation opposed by many INDIA allies, might also come for passage in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill and the National Dental Commission Bill are also scheduled for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
In the Rajya Sabha, amendments to two Constitutional Orders for Scheduled Tribes will be brought for passage.|
