Trinamool, AAP attend Opposition meet called by Kharge on Parliament strategy

In a show of unity, 13 Opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress and AAP, on Wednesday attended a meeting called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to strategise on Parliament's Winter Session and decided to jointly raise issues like price rise, unemployment and attack on Constitution among others.

Sources said the Opposition is unlikely to disrupt proceedings like last time demanding discussion on particular subjects but will pressure the government to accede to their demands. There was agreement among the parties that they should resort to disruption, only at the last step as their strategy helps the government evade accountability.

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Amid speculation that Trinamool and AAP may not attend the meeting called by Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, in his office, Trinamool's Sudip Bandhyopadhyaya and AAP's Sanjay Singh took part in the strategy session where leaders like National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and DMK's TR Baalu also attended.

At the meeting, sources said, the leaders decided to put the Narendra Modi government on notice on various issues through combined action in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and zeroed in on around 20 issues that should be raised during the Winter Session using various rules and instruments of Parliament.

Leaders were unanimous in their decision to raise people-centric issues like price rise, unemployment, attack on Constitutional institutions, EWS and other issues. Congress wanted a discussion on the India-China border issue, sources said.

Leaders from 13 parties -- Congress, DMK, Trinamool, AAP, RJD, NCP, CPI(M), RSP, National Conference, Muslim League, Shiv Sena (Thackeray), RLD and MDMK -- attended the meeting that displayed Opposition unity, at least in Parliament, a day ahead of results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

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Kharge said, "Parliament is the abode of democratic deliberation. We, the like-minded parties, will strongly raise all the issues relevant to our people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the Opposition getting more chances to participate. So we expect the government to walk its talk."

He added, "if laws are made in haste, then they attract judicial scrutiny. Therefore, we expect that all important Bills should be sent to Joint/Select Committees, so that they are carefully examined. We are ready to extend full cooperation in parliamentary processes and debates."

Sources said the parties were in agreement in insisting that the Bills be sent to Standing Committees or other appropriate panels for scrutiny.

A leader pointed out that there was disruption for over a week during last session demanding price rise and nothing happened. Sources also said the parties will stand up for smaller parties getting more time during debates.