<p>Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said new speaker would take a call on whether the Leader of Opposition (LoP) post in Parliament be given to the Congress.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, the Union minister said, “As of now the Union government has not decided in this regard. There are set rules and precedents regarding giving LoP post to the largest opposition party. The government will follow the rules,” he said.</p>.<p>“There is no need for the Congress to jump the gun early,” he said reacting to Rajya Sabha member and AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s recent statement that he would approach the court if the government denies LoP to the Congress, which has 52 seats in Lok Sabha. The largest Opposition party in the House needs at least 10% of the total strength of the House (54 members) to be eligible for the post of LoP. The Congress is two short of the mark.</p>.<p>“As many as 38 Bills and 10 ordinances, including the extension of President’s Rule in J&K and the controversial Triple Talaq Bill, will be tabled in the Parliament session, starting June 17,” Joshi said. He sought the support of the opposition parties for the smooth functioning of the Parliament.</p>.<p>Contentious issues like Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and scrapping of Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, need the consent and cooperation of the political parties. Hence, they may not be tabled in this session, he said.</p>.<p>Scraping of Article 370 was one the important poll promises of BJP in the recently concluded General Elections. The minister, however, reiterated that the Treasury Benches are ready to discuss any issues raised by the opposition.</p>
<p>Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said new speaker would take a call on whether the Leader of Opposition (LoP) post in Parliament be given to the Congress.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, the Union minister said, “As of now the Union government has not decided in this regard. There are set rules and precedents regarding giving LoP post to the largest opposition party. The government will follow the rules,” he said.</p>.<p>“There is no need for the Congress to jump the gun early,” he said reacting to Rajya Sabha member and AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s recent statement that he would approach the court if the government denies LoP to the Congress, which has 52 seats in Lok Sabha. The largest Opposition party in the House needs at least 10% of the total strength of the House (54 members) to be eligible for the post of LoP. The Congress is two short of the mark.</p>.<p>“As many as 38 Bills and 10 ordinances, including the extension of President’s Rule in J&K and the controversial Triple Talaq Bill, will be tabled in the Parliament session, starting June 17,” Joshi said. He sought the support of the opposition parties for the smooth functioning of the Parliament.</p>.<p>Contentious issues like Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and scrapping of Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, need the consent and cooperation of the political parties. Hence, they may not be tabled in this session, he said.</p>.<p>Scraping of Article 370 was one the important poll promises of BJP in the recently concluded General Elections. The minister, however, reiterated that the Treasury Benches are ready to discuss any issues raised by the opposition.</p>
