Not consulted: Congress slams junking of Parliament’s winter session

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the government for its decision against holding Parliament’s winter session in view of the Covid-19, saying the “decimation of parliamentary democracy is complete”. It also alleged that the opposition parties were not consulted over its move to scrap the winter session.

Accusing Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi of lying, Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (Ghulam Nabi Azad) was not consulted. Pralhad Joshi is as usual departing from the truth.”

The minister had on Monday said in a letter to Congress party leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury that he had informally contacted floor leaders of various political parties and they had favoured “doing away with winter session”.

The Centre said that there will be no winter session and joint budget session will be held in January 2021.
Lambasting the decision, Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Competitive exams can be held during Covid. Schools can be opened, universities can hold exams. Rallies can be held in Bihar-Bengal. But Winter Session of Parliament can’t be held. Any semblance of democracy left?”

Meanwhile, Congress MPs from Punjab have been sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar, urging the government to convene Parliament session to repeal the farm laws and discuss the farmers’ demands.

AAP lawmaker Bhagwant Mann alleged that the government’s decision showed it was running away from discussing the “anti-farmer” agri laws which had led to the farmers’ protest.

The Sangrur MP alleged that instead of answering core issues concerning the farmers in Parliament, the government had taken the pretext of the pandemic to not convene the session. The winter session begins in the last week of November or in the first week of December.

Big plans on Netaji’s birth anniversary

Culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel said there will be grand celebrations to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose, including a proposal to set up a museum in Kolkata. The rent museum at Red Fort is also likely to be expanded