Parliament Winter Session: Opposition not to attend meeting called by Centre to end RS logjam

Parliament House. File Pic

Opposition parties have decided not to attend meeting called by the government to end the deadlock in Rajya Sabha in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The decision was made after a meeting of opposition parties this morning.

"We will not attend the meeting called by the Government. We will demand the resignation of MoS Home Ajay Kumar Misra and revocation of suspension of 12 Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha. We will not let both Houses of Parliament function," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said. Today's meeting of floor leaders of both Houses of Parliament was convened to chalk out the further strategy on revoking suspension of 12 Opposition MPs and demand for resignation of Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni over the Lakhimpur Kheri issue.

The Opposition leaders also discussed the invitation of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday questioned the Centre's move to call only four parties whose members in the Rajya Sabha have been suspended instead of all Opposition parties. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Friday with an announcement from the Chair to meet at 11 am on Monday, citing a decision taken in a meeting held earlier in the day with the government and opposition leaders. A meeting was held earlier on Friday to find a solution regarding the uproar created in the House by the Opposition parties in previous days.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu made the announcement soon after the House assembled for the day at 11 am and papers were laid on the table as well as government mentioned the business for next week. Naidu said it was discussed in the meeting to find a solution to the issue being raised by the Opposition parties and maintain peace and smooth functioning during House proceedings. Subsequently, the Rajya Sabha Chairman adjourned the House till 11 am on Monday (December 20). In previous days the House faced disruption on various issues, especially over the revocation of suspension of 12 MPs.

In a move that angered the Opposition and set the stage for acrimonious exchanges, a dozen members of Opposition parties in Rajya Sabha were suspended from the winter session on the very first day on Monday following a motion brought in by the government. The members were suspended for alleged unruly conduct towards the end of the monsoon session in August when marshals were called after Opposition members stormed the Well of the House during the passage of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021. The suspended members comprise six from the Congress, two each from Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from CPI and CPM: Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress; Dola Sen, Shanta Chhetri of Trinamool Congress; Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anil Desai of Shiv Sena; Elamaram Kareem of CPM; and, Binoy Viswam of CPI.

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