Full agenda of Parliament session not revealed yet, govt may deploy dirty tricks: Derek O'Brien

A day after a tentative list of business for the Parliament Session starting on Monday was announced, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said the full agenda has not been revealed yet and the government may deploy some "dirty tricks" and add more business to the list.

The TMC leader asserted that the opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc will speak in "one voice" during the session. "I.N.D.I.A alliance parties are already speaking. We will speak in one voice not only at the all-party meeting but also during the five-day session."

"The agenda for the Special Parliament Session has not been announced yet. I say this because, in the list of business they have written a very sinister line... They have written that this is not an exhaustive list of business. So they will be up to dirty tricks and they can add some business last minute," O'Brien said on Thursday.

He also raised concerns over the Bill that seeks to regulate the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners and said while the government has listed a discussion on the 75-year journey of Parliament, they are also bringing a Bill and "mocking democracy".

Opposition leaders have been raising questions over the agenda for the five-day Parliament Session which starts from September 18. 

"First they said they are discussing Parliament's journey of 75 years. I asked them why are they bringing a bill mocking Parliament and mocking the constituent assembly?" the O'Brien said. 

"Why are they doing this? In every Special Session, the list of business was announced before... Why are they scared to face the people? Why do you want to interfere with the appointment of Election Commissioners? Are you doing this so you can hack the EVM?" he asked.

A Parliamentary Bulletin issued on Wednesday night gave a 'Tentative List of Government Legislative Business' expected to be taken up during the Thirteenth Session of Seventeenth Lok Sabha, which includes a Bill on the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage.

According to The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, the chief election commissioner and election commissioners will be selected by a three-member panel headed by the prime minister and comprising the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Cabinet minister.

This is in contrast to a Supreme Court judgment of March this year which said the panel should comprise the prime minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. 

A special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years starting from the Constituent Assembly will be held on the first day. The session is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament moving from the old building to the new Parliament building.

The other listed business for Lok Sabha includes 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023', already passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023. Besides, 'The Post Office Bill, 2023' has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business.