Govt braces for stormy House session

NEW DELHI: Even as the government held an all-party meeting on Sunday in its bid to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament, the monsoon session starting on Monday is set to be stormy with the opposition geared up to raise issues like cow vigilantism, escalation of violence in J&K and the standoff with China at the Doklam tri-junction.
Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said the government has requested all parties, especially the opposition, to cooperate for the smooth functioning of the House.“All parties were in favour of a productive monsoon session. The government is always ready to discuss on the floor of the House any issue as permitted under the rules of procedure,” Kumar said.
However, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said Congress and other opposition parties would target the government on Kashmir as well as the standoff with China.
Targeting the Centre on the Kashmir issue, he said the government “closed all doors for dialogue” which led to “political suffocation” in the Valley. He also observed that the differences with China over Kashmir had become a new focal point and opposition parties would seek a debate on the Doklam standoff.
Congress and several other opposition parties, including the Left, have been critical of the government over cases of violence by self-proclaimed cow protectors who have often attacked Muslims and, in some cases, Dalits. Economic issues, especially alleged lack of jobs, could also be taken up.
If parties like TMC and RJD attack the government over the action of law enforcement agencies such as the CBI and the ED against their netas over alleged corruption, the treasury benches too would use the issue to underline their anti-corruption credentials.
The session, which will continue till August 11, is likely to witness heated debates on other key issues like the fallout of GST, agrarian crisis and Pakistan policy.
Issues like the flood situation in Assam and other northeastern states, violence over Gorkhaland, fallout of demonetisation and disinvestment of PSUs may also be raised. The PM’s firstever visit to Israel could also come up for discussion.
A lot of legislative business is lined up by the government, which includes the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Bill, 2017, The Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Bill, 2017, and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Bill, 2017, in Lok Sabha. Twenty-one bills are pending in Lok Sabha while 42 bills are pending in Rajya Sabha.