Setting the tone for the winter session of the Parliament, Opposition parties at the all-party meeting held on Saturday demanded that the three legislations aimed at replacing the existing criminal laws should not be rushed through. They also criticised the Hindi titles of these Bills, which they said were an “insult to people of south India” and a “symbol of Hindi imperialism”.
Opposition parties expressed dismay at the “brazen” leak of the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee report recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra even before it had been tabled in Parliament. They also flagged the “extra-Constitutional” style of functioning of Governors in non-BJP ruled States.
In the 15-day sitting from December 4-22, the government has listed 19 Bills. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters at the end of the 90-minute meeting that the government is ready for a discussion on all issues. He, however, said the Opposition must ensure an enabling environment for discussion to take place. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
