Session begins on fiery note

The Winter Session of Parliament on Friday started on a fiery note with the Congress-led Opposition paying little heed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to hold constructive debates to help resolve the country’s problems. While the Lok Sabha was adjourned after obituary references, the action took place in the Rajya Sabha over certain allegations made against former Prime Minister Mamohan Singh over his dinner with Pakistan officials in the thick of Gujarat polls.

The House saw repeated adjournments as the Congress raised the din demanding an apology from the Prime Minister over his alleged insinuation that Manmohan discussed Gujarat polls with Pakistan officials over the dinner.

The BJP seemed in no mood to oblige the Opposition over the issue. Speaking to newspersons after the meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Party, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar demanded that the Congress apologise for a meeting between its leaders, including former Manmohan, and Pakistani officials without informing the Government. Modi presided over the meeting of the party MPs.

Sources said the Prime Minister spoke about the Government’s legislative agenda for the Winter Session and asked them to work together for pushing it through Parliament. Modi also asked them to ensure the presence of ruling alliance members in both the Houses.

While Modi did not comment on this controversial issue he told reporters that he was confident that the Winter Session will be productive. “I hope there is good debate, constructive debate and we come up with innovative solutions to our nation’s problems,” he said.

The Opposition also did not allow the House to run over the disqualification of former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and his party colleague Ali Anwar from the Upper House. The pre-lunch sessions saw slogan-shouting Opposition members storming into the well of the House over the two issues. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu tried to restore order urging the members to refrain from such acts. Unable to pacify them, Naidu remarked if “all in the well, then it is not well.”

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House reassembled and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue of the Prime Minister’s remarks against his predecessor. Seeking to suspend the business of the day under Rule 267, the Congress leader said the matter was serious as it was not the only concern of the Government but the Opposition as well.

Azad said the Prime Minister leveled allegations during an election rally of a conspiracy regarding Gujarat elections over the former Prime Minister’s dinner meeting with the Pakistanis. The Congress leader also said allegations were made against many former foreign secretaries, military officials and a former Vice-President.

When Naidu rejected the notice for suspension, the Opposition vociferously protested leading to yet another adjournment till after lunch. When the House met again at 2.30 pm, Azad raised the issue again leading to another bout of protests and Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien finally adjourned the House for the day amidst din.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced to the House new Ministers inducted into the Cabinet. BJP president Amit Shah also made his debut by attending the proceedings as newly elected MP.

Meanwhile, the proceedings of the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Winter Session were adjourned after the House paid tributes to three sitting and seven former members who died during the inter-session period. The House would now meet on Monday.

As soon as the House assembled, newly-elected Congress member from Gurdaspur Sunil Kumar Jakhar was administered the oath, which he took in Punjabi.

After the oath of the new member, Modi introduced the new Ministers to the House. Making obituary references, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan informed members that three sitting Lok Sabha MPs -- Sultan Ahmed (TMC), Chand Nath (BJP) and Tasleem Uddin (RJD) had passed away recently.

Seven other former members -- Vikram Mahajan, Ram Singh, R Keishing, PC Barman, Dhanraj Singh, Amal Datta and Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi also died during the inter-session period. The House was also introduced to the new Secretary General, Snehlata Shrivastava, who took over on December 1. A former IAS officer, she is the first woman Secretary General of the Lok Sabha.

The brief Winter Session  is expected to be a stormy one as it is expected to be impacted by the shadows of the bitterly fought poll in Gujarat, results for which along with that of Himachal Pradesh would be out on Monday. The poll results will have a serious bearing on the session. Most of the exit polls have predicted victory of the BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

The Government is expected to table 25 pending Bills and 14 new ones, including a Bill providing Muslim women the right to seek maintenance in case of triple talaq, during the session.

Delayed by almost a month due to the polls, this session will have fewer sittings than the usual -- it has 14 work days compared to 21 in the last Winter Session -- but the Government is hopeful of pushing its legislative agenda in the short time.

The Modi-Government looks forward Opposition’s cooperation to pass key pending Bills like Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill , 2016, and the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) 123 amendment Bill. 

The Opposition is set to raise the issue of Rafale deal purchase and the state of economy, particularly the implementation o f GST.

Aagriculture distress, GST rollout and alleged misuse of enforcement agencies are some of the other issues the Opposition will rake up to attack the Government.