NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and Lok Sabha deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi on Friday claimed the government was so frightened in the just-concluded Parliament’s monsoon session that both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah remained absent on all 19 days of the two Houses.
Right at the start, they said the Congress had listed five issues of rampant corruption for discussions. These included NEET examination, Ayodhya Ram Mandir’s donation theft, adulteration of Ethanol in Petrol, irresponsibility of the BJP chief ministers and threat to Indian land by China. They also cited corruption in construction of the public infrastructure projects, including the quality of highways and expressways, flyovers and airports.
They said the Congress promised a positive role on the various Bills the government wanted to pilot, but it wanted the issues listed by the Opposition first. “We kept calling the Home Minister to the House in two days of debate on the police excesses on the students.
The Congress leaders said Rahul Gandhi also raised the issue of the posts of the university vice-chancellors in the hands of the RSS.
Jairam said the monsoon session was a complete washout while the Opposition parties showed a unity through the daily meetings in the room of Congress President. He listed five achievements of the Opposition in this session. These are:
“One nation, one election” Bill that the government wanted to bring put off to the winter session.
A Bill on Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan planned to centralise the univresities was also put off to the winter session and the joint parliamentary committee report also got put off.
Third was the dismissal bill or the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill for automatic removal of MLAs, ministers, chief ministers and prime minister but it will not come in the next session in November.
Fourth was the postponement of the FCRA amendment bill despite Home Minister’s off-the-record briefings that it will come in this session. Just a phone call from the vice-president of the United States and the bill was deferred.
The fifth was the government’s bid to secure two-third majority to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill that failed.
Jairam said two sensitive Bills were passed by both the Houses without debate. These are Mine and Minerals Amendment Bill and another National Cooperative Development Corporation Bill that air to centralise and snatch away all the powers of the states.
He said the Congress demand was to send the two Bills to the standing committee. He said the Congress expects any states will challenge these in the court, once they are notified by the President.
Asked about the Congress strategy until the winter session of Parliament, the two Congress leaders said the party would keep raising the issues of students as also the RSS weakening the education, be it the university education or the school education.
In reply to a question, Jairam said the Congress has called the Congress Working Committee meeting on August 19 at 3 PM which clarify the agenda for the next three months.
Umakant Lakhera is a Senior Journalist and Political Commentator
