New Delhi: Setting the stage for confrontation, top Congress leaders on Tuesday decided to raise in Parliament’s Budget session issues concerning MGNREGA and SIR despite the government’s refusal to debate them again, and said they will demand clarity on key economic and foreign policy matters amid ongoing global tensions.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary strategy group held at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi where the Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, were also present.
Leaders of various opposition parties would also meet in the chamber of Kharge in Parliament House on Wednesday at 10 AM to chalk out their joint strategy during the session, party leader and whip in Rajya Sabha Naseer Hussain told reporters after the meeting party meeting.
Hussain said that in today’s meeting convened by Sonia Gandhi on the eve of the Budget session, they discussed all important issues which should be taken up during the first part of the Budget session.
“The biggest issue that has emerged is that of MGNREGA. We held a detailed discussion and will raise it during the first part of the Budget session.
“Alongside, the issue of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) would also be raised. Several members raised the issue based on ground reports and how the BJP has created confusion and havoc on the SIR issue,” he said.
Besides, he said, there are several environmental issues that were discussed and would be raised. These include the Aravalli hills redefinition and the Great Nicobar project, he noted.
“We will also raise the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament. Besides, the issue of contaminated water in Indore and Ahmedabad and deaths reported due to it would also be raised,” he said.
The most important issue before the country, he said, is that of foreign policy and the manner in which the US is “threatening” India on the purchase of Russian oil and is imposing tariffs on India.
There is a deviation in the country’s foreign policy and the issue would be raised in Parliament as the country’s economy is being hurt due to this, he noted.
On the government rejecting the opposition demand for holding a discussion on the SIR issue, Hussain retorted: “This is an arrogant government.”
“With the entire opposition raising the issue and despite so many strictures and judgements of the Supreme Court, the manner in which this government is behaving and moving forward on SIR, we feel this SIR issue needs to be raised at a bigger level,” he said.
“‘Vote chori’ is a big issue and it means that all elections held after 2003 are fake, and that is why we want a rollback,” the Congress leader said.
After an all-party meeting on the session eve, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday turned down the opposition’s demands for discussions on the VB-G RAM G Act as well as on the SIR.
“Once a law is before the nation, we have to follow it. We cannot reverse the gear and go back,” he said on the employment guarantee Act that has replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA.
He also said “marathon discussions” were held on the SIR issue during the last session, when Parliament had debated electoral reforms. “This is uncalled for if another debate is demanded,” he said.
Hussain said that the falling value of the rupee is causing disruption “in our economy and the MSME sector and other economic sectors are suffering”.
The Parliamentary Strategy group would meet again and discuss other issues to be raised during the second part of the budget session that will begin on March 9, the Congress leader said.
Asked about the UGC equity regulations issue, he said, “We have been demanding a caste census and all issues would be taken up and resolved in the caste census.”
The Congress leaders who participated in today’s strategy group meeting included Pramod Tiwari, Manickam Tagore, Jairam Ramesh, P Chidambaram, Tariq Anwar, Rajni Patil, Manish Tiwari and K Suresh.
Sources said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor could not attend the meeting as he was on his way back from Dubai. He had informed the party in advance about his inability to be present, they said.
The Budget session will start on January 28 and the first part will end on February 13. The second half will commence on March 9 and conclude on April 2.
