The Indian government has called for an all-party meeting on Monday evening, just hours before the commencement of a five-day special session of Parliament, which had been announced earlier this month by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Joshi stated, “Ahead of the Parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM. The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow.”
The purpose of Monday’s all-party meeting is expected to revolve around the agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session, which has generated considerable uncertainty and speculation. Some rumors suggest that the government might introduce a resolution to change the country’s official name from India to Bharat. However, the lack of official information has led to widespread curiosity and debate.
Derek O’Brien, a Member of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress, and a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, expressed frustration over the absence of an agenda. He remarked, “Two working days to go before the Special Parliament Session begins and still not a word on the agenda. Only two people (seen as a reference to the PM and Union Home Minister Amit Shah) know! And we still call ourselves a parliamentary democracy.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh echoed this sentiment, stating, “Today is September 13. The five-day Special Session of Parliament will commence five days from now and nobody-barring One Man (ok, perhaps the Other One too) has any sense of the agenda.”
While the all-party meeting has been characterized as routine by some, CPI leader D Raja emphasized that consultation with opposition leaders should have taken place before announcing the special session. He questioned, “Nobody knows what is the agenda for the special session. What are the issues that will be discussed?”
The timing of the session, which coincides with Ganesh Chaturthi, one of India’s most significant festivals, has also drawn criticism from opposition leaders. Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena UBT remarked, “This special session called during India’s most important festival of Ganesh Chaturthi… goes against Hindu sentiments!” Meanwhile, Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party demanded its rescheduling.
Former Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi raised concerns about the lack of consultation with political parties and the undisclosed agenda in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She highlighted that “none of us have any idea of its agenda… all we have been communicated is that all five days have been allocated for ‘government business.'”
Government sources have suggested that potential topics for discussion during the session may include India’s status as a ‘developed nation,’ Chandrayaan-3 (the Moon mission), and the recently held G20 Summit in Delhi. However, until the official agenda is revealed, uncertainty and speculation will persist.
Sources By Agencies
