‘Unparliamentary’: Opposition denounces Narendra Modi’s absence from all-party meeting
Meanwhile, the DMK and AIADMK said at the meeting that India should help resolve the economic crisis in Sri Lanka
The Congress on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the all-party meeting conducted by the central government ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Hindustan Times reported.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who attended the meeting, said that the prime minister’s absence could be described as unparliamentary.
All Party Meeting to discuss forthcoming session of Parliament has just begun and the Prime Minister as usual is absent. Isn’t this ‘unparliamentary’?
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 17, 2022
The Monsoon Session will begin on July 18 and conclude on August 12. The Centre will introduce 24 Bills in the session.
It is customary for the prime minister to organise and participate in meeting with leaders from across the political spectrum for the smooth functioning of Parliament, NDTV reported.
Delhi | All-party meeting called by the government ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament, begins in Parliament Annexe building pic.twitter.com/alZr7VaFRv
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2022
In Sunday’s meeting, the Centre was represented by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party’s leader in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, PTI reported.
From the Opposition, the Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attended the meeting. TR Baalu, the treasurer of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and party MP Tiruchi Siva were also present.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and the Trinamool Congress’s Sudeep Bandyopadhyay attended the meeting as well.
During the session, the Opposition is expected to raise the matters of the controversial Agnipath scheme, inflation, fuel prices and unemployment in the country, PTI reported.
“ED conviction rate is 0.5 %, it is only being used to target the opposition,” said Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, ANI reported. “India coal is Rs 3000, Adani coal is Rs 30,000. Punjab government is being forced to buy it.”
India should help resolve Sri Lanka crisis: TN parties
At the all -party-meeting, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam said that India should help resolve the crisis in Sri Lanka, PTI reported.
AIADMK leader M Thambidurai said that New Delhi should intervene to assist the island country in coping with its ongoing economic crisis.
Sri Lanka is in the middle of its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. Protests triggered by the crisis led to the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on July 14.