JOIN USOppn to use Appropriation Bills debate in Rajya Sabha to corner BJP government on 'issues of people'
Accusing the government of avoiding discussions on issues concerning livelihood in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, the Opposition is gearing up to use the two-day debate on Appropriation Bills in Rajya Sabha to corner the Narendra Modi government on issues like price rise and unemployment.
Sources said the Opposition will be aggressive in its approach during the debate as they fear that the government is headed to curtail the Session by a week and end the proceedings before Christmas, which will give them less time to raise issues on the floor of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
With India-China clashes dominating the past few days in Parliament, the Opposition has not been able to effectively raise price rise, unemployment and other issues like food security and medium and small scale industries. Issues like discontinuation of Maulana Azad scholarship will also find its way into the debate.
There has been informal consultations among Opposition parties on how to utilise the debate on the Appropriation Bills to raise concerns on issues that directly impact common people.
Congress Whip Nasir Hussain told DH that the Opposition and especially his party would raise price rise, unemployment, issues concerning implementation of MGNREGA, medium and small scale industries will be raised.
Accusing the government of running away from debates, sources said the Opposition will be fielding its heavyweights during the debate. For Congress, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram is likely to open the debate while leaders like Amee Yagnik and Ranjeet Ranjan are also set to speak.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien, Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav, RJD’s Manoj K Jha, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, TRS’ K Keshava Rao and CPI(M) Elamaram Kareem are likely to speak from the Opposition among others.
“Government does not want discussion on any subject. They are scared to face Parliament. They will try all diversions, but we have enough Parliamentary instruments which we will use. We will turn the debate to raise concerns about the issues that trouble common people and expose the BJP,” O’Brien told DH.
The Opposition leaders believe that the BJP is trying to raise “divisive” issues like Uniform Civil Code during the Session to prepare the ground ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
CPI’s Binoy Viswam alleged the BJP was trying to deviate attention from real issues. “It does not want to discuss issues concerning Dalits, women, youth, underprivileged and oppressed. We are here to present the concerns of common people. But the government is not concerned,” he said.