The Winter Session of Parliament commencing from November 26 will be tough for the government, the main Opposition Congress indicated here on Monday, hinting that the current mood in the party is to c
The Winter Session of Parliament commencing from November 26 will be tough for the government, the main Opposition Congress indicated here on Monday, hinting that the current mood in the party is to corner the government on different issues through parliamentary tactics by uniting anti-BJP parties.
“No... it will not be like the Monsoon Session... we are not interested in washing out the session,” a Congress leader said.
The Congress also made it clear that it cannot support the GST bill in Parliament unless its concerns are addressed by the government. The main Opposition clarified its stand against the backdrop of finance minister Arun Jaitley’s meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Though government managers are confident of the passage of the bill, it can succeed only by bringing the main Opposition on board. The Congress members in the Rajya Sabha select committee on the GST bill gave a dissent note in July this year opposing the current bill and suggesting six amendments.
The government managers appear to have not succeeded so far in convincing the Congress, Left and the AIADMK. Their attack on the Congress, the JD(U)-RJD and the Left has ensured continuance of the logjam. Parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said the government is reaching out to the Opposition to bring it on board to ensure passage of the bill.
He said: “I am confident (about the passage of GST). I am already in touch with some of the Opposition parties. We are discussing with them and they have meaningful suggestions... They can also be taken into consideration while adopting the bill in Parliament.”
But the Bihar election results could compel non-BJP parties to review their positions in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has written a letter to all members, saying she expected “acceptable decorum” from them in the House as many times decency is thrown to the winds following a difference of opinion over issues.
“In every aspect of life, everybody expects decent and moral behaviour from each other. As Speaker, can I expect that in the Lok Sabha, which we call the temple of democracy, we all will show behaviour as per the acceptable decorum so that the prestige and purity is upheld,” she said in the letter.
