30 January 2024
Sandeep Dhand (Ludhiana)
In anticipation of the upcoming budget session of Parliament, leaders from various political parties gathered for the customary all-party meeting convened by the government. The meeting, held a few months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, aimed to facilitate dialogue between the government and opposition, ensuring a smooth parliamentary session.
Representing the government were Defense Minister and Deputy Leader of the House Rajnath Singh, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi, and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal. Opposition figures present included Congress leader Kodikunil Suresh, Trinamool Congress’s Sudeep Bandopadhyay, DMK leader T.R. Balu, Shiv Sena’s Rahul Shewale, Samajwadi Party’s ST Hasan, JD(U)’s Ram Nath Thakur, and TDP’s Jayadev Gala.
During the meeting, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, standing in for Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, voiced concerns over the alleged suppression of the ‘Bharat Joko Nyaya Yatra’ in Assam. Tiwari accused the state government of imposing restrictions and decried what he termed an “undeclared dictatorship” in the country. Additionally, he asserted that the central government was misusing investigative agencies like the CBI and ED to target opposition leaders.
The customary meeting provided a platform for leaders to outline their priorities for the parliamentary session. Tiwari highlighted issues such as the alleged misuse of investigative agencies and expressed his discontent with the prevailing political climate.
As the budget session approaches, the Parliament is set to convene from January 31 to February 9. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is slated to present the interim budget before the Lok Sabha elections, with the full budget expected to be presented by the new government. The session will commence with an address by President Draupadi Murmu, setting the stage for critical discussions on the nation’s fiscal trajectory.