As parliament’s monsoon session starts on July 20, waiting on the Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s agenda is the tabling of five new bills and two pending ones in the House for passing. But how much success government will find in this, given the stormy nature of politics outside parliament in the past month, remains mired in doubt.
Opposition parties, freshly reunited in spirit after the setbacks they faced in the recent state Assembly polls, look all set to corner government on a wide array of issues. The NEET UG examination paper leaks that forced another examination and allegedly caused the suicide of at least 17 students, the fast-unto-death protest by activist Sonam Wangchuk in support of Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the difficulties faced by motorists across the country due to blending of ethanol in petrol, and the alleged loot of crores of rupees of donations from the Ram temple in Ayodhya are going to be raised by the Opposition parties.
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How government deals with the Opposition MPs’ questions on these issues in parliament will set the stage for the bills to be taken up and discussed in the House. Government’s style of response will also set the tone for the next course of politics outside parliament—on the streets, by activists. In the current scenario, even though government has made efforts to impress upon the Opposition the need to keep the monsoon session smooth, neither side seems ready to allow that to happen.
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A day before the monsoon session begins, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju requested Opposition not to cause disruptions during the session, stressing that all parties have a right to speak in a democracy but they must work together for the country. He appealed to them for their “positive support” for bills ready to be tabled.
“The country’s people want parliament to function, and its failure to do so is harmful to democracy. We have listened attentively to everyone’s views, and when we convene for the Monsoon Session tomorrow, the opposition parties will likely raise various issues,” Rijiju told reporters after an all-party meeting in New Delhi. He thanked the Opposition parties for sending their representatives to participate in the all-party meeting.
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There was high drama at the all-party meeting convened by government as the entire Opposition staged a symbolic walkout from it to protest the invitation extended to rebel MPs of Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The Opposition also protested when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla allowed separate seating arrangement at the meeting for the 20 rebel TMC MPs who have joined NCPI, a little-known party.