New Delhi [India], April 3 : Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) held its General Body meeting on Thursday at the Central Hall in the Parliament in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
During the meeting, Sonia Gandhi praised the Congress members for taking up discussions on various issues during the Budget session.
"We are coming to the end of a fairly long session that has been eventful as well. The Budget has been presented and debated. So have the Finance and Appropriations Bills. Many of you have taken part in these discussions. You have all effectively highlighted the real state of the economy. You have exposed the vast gap between what the Government claims and what the overwhelming reality is in relation to price rise, unemployment and growing inequalities," she said.
During the meeting, Gandhi said that the Opposition wanted discussions on various issues, including discussion on functioning of defence and external ministries and the issue of China, but all these things were not allowed to discuss.
The CPP chairperson said, "However, we had also demanded a debate on a number of issues of public importance. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the ruling party had denied these too. For instance, we wanted a detailed discussion in the Lok Sabha on the working of the ministries of defence and of external affairs. Both these subjects are of critical importance given the increasingly turbulent political atmosphere in our neighborhood, but this was disallowed."
"We have been asking for a discussion in both Houses on the grave challenges posed by China on our borders and the shocking clean chit given to it by the Prime Minister on June 19th, 2020. His statement adversely impacted our negotiating position, but that too was refused. Meanwhile, imports from China are booming and destroying our MSMEs that are the main job creators in the economy," she added.
Gandhi reiterated the Congress' allegations that opposition members were not allowed to speak in the Parliament, whether Lok Sabha LoP or Rajya Sabha LoP. She asserted that the opposition had been trying to raise the issue of free and fair elections and the need for Parliament to debate the functioning of the Election Commission but all this was "not" allowed to discuss.
She said, "We have also repeatedly been raising the issue of free and fair elections and the need for Parliament to debate the functioning of the Election Commission and its opaque rules and procedures. Some of these rules and procedures are presently under challenge in the Supreme Court. Even a short-duration discussion on this subject was also not allowed. Further, it is a matter of grave concern to our democracy that the LOP in the Lok Sabha is not permitted to speak. Similarly, time and again, the LOP in the Rajya Sabha, Khargeji is also not allowed to say what he wants to say and indeed must say. Like you, I have been witness to how the House gets adjourned not because of us but because of the protests by the Treasury Benches themselves. This is quite extraordinary and shocking designed to prevent the Opposition from raising their concerns that would put the Government on the spot."
The CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led Union Government after the Waqf Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, stating that this bill is a "brazen assault" on the Constitution and is BJP's strategy to keep society in a state of "permanent polarisation."
She said, "Yesterday, the Wakf Amendment Bill, 2024 was passed in the Lok Sabha and today it is scheduled to come up in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was in effect bulldozed through. Our party's position is clear. The Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is very much part of the BJP's deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization."
Calling One Nation, One Election Bill a subversion of the Constitution, Gandhi said, "The One Nation, One Election Bill is another subversion of the Constitution. We strongly oppose this legislation as well. Meanwhile, our plea for the immediate implementation of the women's reservation bill passed by both Houses two years back continues to be wilfully ignored along with the other demand for one-third reservation for women belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBC communities."
She further stated, "In brief, whether it is education, civil rights and liberties, our federal structure or conduct of elections, the Modi government is dragging the country into an abyss where our Constitution will remain on paper and we know their intention is to demolish even that. It is vital for all of us to continue to fight for what is right and just, to expose Modi government's failing and intention to turn India into a surveillance state. Of course, we all know that the Prime Minister has rebranded, repackaged and marketed numerous initiatives taken during 2004-2014 as his own personal accomplishments. That too needs to be exposed through our own public outreach activities."
The CPP chairperson further accused the BJP members of targeting Congress-led state governments, stating, "I want to raise one issue relating to our functioning in Parliament. I find BJP members aggressively target our state governments, with total falsehoods especially during Zero Hour. I think all of you should be equally aggressive and raising the failures and mis-governance in BJP-ruled states. This will mean much more pointed homework and research on our part."