Parliament Special Session: Centre keeps cards close to chest, Oppn alleges 'hidden agenda'

Parliament will convene for a five-day special session from Monday with the government keeping its cards close to the chest on what is in store and the Opposition accusing it of a "hidden agenda" while preparing itself for a surprise. 

Pre-empting the Narendra Modi regime, several parties have vociferously demanded bringing the women’s reservation bill.

The special session will see proceedings moving to the new Parliament building on the second day after a brief "function" in old Building's 'Central Hall' while the government will take up bills from Wednesday. 

Before the Central Hall function in which Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar will attend among others, MPs have been asked to assemble for a photo session.

Getting ready for business, the new building on Sunday saw Dhankhar hoisting the national flag atop the "Gaja Dwar".

The customary all-party meeting saw the I.N.D.I.A bloc and other Opposition parties questioning the government over not disclosing the agenda for the session and attributing "designs" to the move. 

"Only the government knows what its intention is. It may surprise everyone with some new agenda," Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters after the meeting. 

Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien said "still, there is no full agenda for the session because a sinister line of the Parliament bulletin still says 'Statement not to be taken as exhaustive'." 

"The government is not clear about the agenda. They are not telling us. The agenda which we saw in the bulletin does not suggest anything special. They are hiding something, and we wanted to ask them what is the agenda," Kerala Congress (M) MP Jose K Mani said.

While Monday will see a day-long debate on the 75 years of Parliamentary democracy in the country, the government has not spelt out the exact agenda though it has indicated that it plans to pass five bills in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including the contentious one on the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. Parties like Congress and Trinamool Congress have objected to the bill.

Most of the parties, including Trinamool Congress, BJD, NCP, NCP (Ajit Pawar), demanded the passage of the women's reservation bill, amid speculation that the government may bring the contentious legislation. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "appropriate decisions will be taken at appropriate time".

At the meeting, Congress reiterated its demands for discussion on issues like price rise and unemployment raised by Sonia Gandhi in her letter to Prime Minister Modi. O'Brien said one of the five days must be set aside for discussing people's issues like price rise, unemployment and outstanding payments to states.

Objections were also raised on the session not having Question Hour and Zero Hour as well as Private Member Bills and resolutions. 

The meeting also saw some tense moments as YSR Congress representatives sought to obstruct TDP MPs from raising the arrest of their leader N Chandrababu Naidu. However, TDP got support from other parties to raise the issue.