PM Modi makes impassioned plea for smooth functioning of Parliament at all party meeting, Congress set to raise Rafale

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made an impassioned plea to the leaders of opposition parties seeking their support for the smooth functioning of the winter session of Parliament.

Talking to the opposition leaders in the all party meet convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, the Prime Minister said his government was willing to discuss all issues and all must come forward to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament.

The Congress, however, said that the party will press for the constitution of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the alleged irregularities in the Rs. 58,000 crore deal to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

This winter session is one last chance for the Prime Minister to push through his legislative agenda before he seeks a second term in the crucial national vote next year.

Senior Congress leader and the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad told reporters after the meeting that the party will also raise the issue of alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the government in this session.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad, and leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge attended the meeting called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in Parliament House Complex on Monday morning.

National Conference Chief Farooq Abdulla and Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader who had fallen out of his son and party chief Akhilesh Yadav, attended the meeting. Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav attended the meeting on behalf of the party. However, former UP chief minister and Bahujan Samajwadi Party supremo Mayawati did not send any representative.

The all party meeting will be followed by a meeting called by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu who has invited the floor leaders of political parties to explore floor between the government and opposition sides. The government would like to pass some crucial bills, which were stuck in the Rajya Sabha due to lack of majority for the ruling coalition, in this session.

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The government must pass three ordinances – Triple Talaq Bill, The Companies Amendment Ordinance and The Medical Council of India Ordinance – within six weeks of the start of the winter session, failing which these ordinances will lapse.

Any setback to BJP in the crucial assembly elections in the state of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will invigorate the opposition to corner the government in Parliament.

The results for all five assembly elections including Telangana and Mizoram will be declared on Tuesday, the day in which the winter session begins. Any poor showing by BJP in will embolden the opposition to stall the government’s efforts to push through its legislative agenda ahead of the crucial national election next year.