Winter Session: Congress to raise Chinese incursion, AIIMs cyber attack

The Congress today listed out a host of issues it would raise in the winter session that begins on December 7. Chinese border incursion topped the list. Cyber attack on All India Institute Of Medical Sciences is another issue that Congress party wants to rake up. During the all party meeting in Parliament, the Congress said that the time allotted for discussion of 25 bills was not enough and also raised the issue of inflation, unemployment, Chinese incursion, attack on judiciary and misuse of central agencies.

The meeting took place at Parliament House which was called by Pralhad Joshi, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister in which Congress was represented by Adhir Ranjan Chowdary Floor Leader and Dr Naseer Hussain Whip CPP in Rajya Sabha.

As per Congress leaders, the grand old party during the meeting said that the time allotted was not enough and also raised the several issues that needs to be taken up for discussion.

The Congress pointed discussion on inflation, Chinese incursion and foreign policy, consistently high unemployment rate across the country due to failure of government in filling vacancies in government departments and other Institutions and generating new jobs, failure of the Central Government to give a legal/statutory guarantee of MSP to farmers, dilution of right-based laws such as the Forest Rights Act, Right to Information (RTI) Act, MGNREGA, etc., Centre’s attack on judiciary and refusal to accept Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation, Supreme Court’s judgment on 10 per cent reservation for EWS, collapse of autonomous bodies- declining credibility of the Election Commission and misuse of investigative agencies like CBI/ED/CVC, etc.

The Congress said that it will also raise the issue of Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat, in which 135 people lost their lives, falling Rupee, decreasing exports and declining GDP growth rate, deteriorating and dangerous levels of air pollution across the country, increasing crime and atrocities against women, increasing malnutrition and the government’s failure to achieve the target of malnutrition-free India by 2022.

The Congress also said that the issue of voters’ data theft and deletion of lakhs of voters in Karnataka, problems in Jammu and Kashmir including rising crimes and attacks on Kashmiri Pandits will also be raised during the Wonter Session.

The Congress has also called the meeting of opposition parties on Wednesday at 9.45 a.m. in Parliament to discuss the issues.

Speaking at the meeting, Congress’ Chowdhury demanded discussions on price rise, unemployment and also on alleged misuse of investigative agencies.

He further demanded a discussion on the Sino-India border issue and said, “The government did not properly inform the Opposition about the standoff at the border. In the House, we demand a discussion on it and also on the killings of Kashmiri Pandits.”

Meanwhile, Hussain demanded discussions on the appointment of Election Commissioner in just one day and the Economically Weaker Section quota.

Concluding the meeting, Joshi said he has taken note of all the issues raised by the political parties and discussions will be held according to the norms and procedures of Parliament.

Issues for discussion will be finalised in the business advisory committee meetings of both houses of Parliament, he said.

Many senior Congress leaders like former party chief Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Dogvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh are likely to miss the Winter Session of Parliament as they are participating in the party’s 3,570 km Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is currently passing through Rajasthan.