Stage set for stormy Winter Session of Parliament

 The leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc are meeting on Monday morning ostensibly to redraw their strategies to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP both inside the Parliament and in the electoral arena.

PTI, 03 DEC 2023, New Delhi : Buoyed by its victory in the assembly elections, an aggressive BJP will seek to corner the Congress-led Opposition in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning Monday when a report recommending TMC MP Mahua Moitra's expulsion is expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha.

The leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc are meeting on Monday morning ostensibly to redraw their strategies to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP both inside the Parliament and in the electoral arena. 

The Congress, which was hoping to score a big win in Madhya Pradesh and retain Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, had to taste a resounding defeat. However, the grand old party did manage to oust the BRS from Telangana.

"If the Opposition disrupts the Parliament, it will face worse results than what has come today (Sunday)," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters here when asked about the Winter Session beginning Monday.

The government has presented a heavy legislative agenda for the 15 sittings of the Winter Session with key bills to replace the colonial era criminal laws, a draft legislation to provide for a framework for appointment of the election commissioners. 

The report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee recommending Moitra's expulsion from the Lower House over a "cash-for-query" complaint is also listed for tabling in the House on Monday. 

The government is also expected to move a motion in the Lok Sabha to adopt the recommendation of the Ethics Committee, which would lead to Moitra’s expulsion from the Lower House.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) insisted on a debate on the Ethics Committee report in the House at the meeting of the floor leaders of the political parties chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Opposition leaders have also sought discussion in the Parliament on issues such as the situation in Manipur, rising inflation, "misuse" of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the "imposition" of Hindi through the names of laws, particularly in reference to the three bills to replace the criminal laws.

"We are ready for a discussion on any issue. But when you seek a short-duration discussion, you also have to ensure an atmosphere conducive for a debate in the House," Joshi said on Saturday.