Opposition leaders meet Venkaiah Naidu, Sumitra Mahajan to demand discussion on key issues

Opposition leaders (from left to right) the DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, Anand Sharma of the Congress, CPI(M)’s Rangarajan, Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and CPI’s D. Raja outside Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Opposition leaders (from left to right) the DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, Anand Sharma of the Congress, CPI(M)’s Rangarajan, Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and CPI’s D. Raja outside Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday.   | Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy

Leaders of more than a dozen opposition parties today met Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to demand a discussion on key issues of national importance.

As both houses of Parliament were disrupted for the 20th day, opposition leaders, including from the Congress, BSP, SP, DMK, NCP, Trinamool Congress and the Left parties, met to discuss the lack of debate, they said.

The opposition leaders also met Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to put forth their demand for a discussion on issues like the SC-ST Act, the CBSE paper leak and the PNB bank fraud.

The Congress said it would not mind if the session was extended by a day or two.

“We want to hold discussions on key issues of national importance and we also want to pass legislation. The government should take the lead in doing do. We are not averse even if the session is extended by a day or two,” said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.