Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, sought a discussion on a range of issues during the five-day Special Session of Parliament that begins on September 18.
Gandhi began the letter saying, “I must point out that this Special Session has been convened without any consultation with other political parties. None of us have any idea of its agenda. All we have been communicated is that all five days have been allocated for the Government Business.”
Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday announced that a five-day Special Session of Parliament from September 18-22 is being called that will have five sittings, however, its agenda is kept under wraps.
Stating that the Congress “most certainly” wants to participate in the upcoming session, Sonia Gandhi listed out some “matters of public concern and importance” that she hoped would be discussed. “I earnestly hope that in a spirit of constructive cooperation, these issues will be taken up in the forthcoming special session,” she said.
The issues listed in her letter are:
-Current economic situation with focus on increasing price rise of essential commodities, growing unemployment, rise in inequalities and distress of MSMEs;
-Commitment made by the Government of India to farmers and farmer organizations in regard to MS and other demands raised by them;
-Demand for a JPC to investigate the transactions of the Adani business group in light of all revelations;
-The continued agony faced by people of Manipur and breakdown of; Constitutional machinery and social harmony in the State;
-Rise in communal tension in different States like Haryana;
-Continued occupation of Indian Territory by China and challenges to our sovereignty on our borders in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh;
-Urgent need for a Caste Census;
-Damages being inflicted on Centre-State relations;
-Impact of natural disasters caused by extreme floods in some States and drought in others
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference that this is the first time that no agenda has been discussed or listed in the business of the House.
“If there is no ‘shehnai’ of democracy in the mother of democracy, then what kind of democracy is this,” Ramesh asked, adding that the Prime Minister is in “panic” and “tired”.