After the Centre released the agenda for the special parliament session starting Tuesday, Congress expressed apprehensions that the government is keeping "legislative grenades" up its sleeves to be unleashed at the last moment. Bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners and a special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years have been listed on the agenda, which the opposition believes could have been discussed in the winter session.
"The agenda as published at the moment, is much ado about nothing — all this could have waited till Winter session in November. I am sure the legislative grenades are being kept up their sleeves to be unleashed at the last moment as usual. Parde ke peeche kuch aur hai!", Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on 'X'.
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Regardless, the INDIA alliance parties will steadfastly oppose the "insidious" CEC Bill, Ramesh added.
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had earlier written to PM Narendra Modi, listing nine issues that should be taken up for discussion during the special session of the parliament, including unemployment, allegations against Adani group, continuing violence in Manipur, urgent need for caste census, rise in communal tensions in different states like Haryana.
However, after the Centre released the agenda, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the agenda announced thus far does not speak of a single issue of public importance raised by Sonia Gandhi in her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Instead, they have chosen headline management. 140 crore Indians are sorely disappointed looking at this agenda," Venugopal said on X.
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Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi also slammed the government over the agenda put out. "It is unfortunate that despite CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi highlighting the most pressing issues facing India- the government chooses to be silent. Where is Manipur? Unemployment? Natural disaster in Himachal Pradesh? Drought in Maharashtra? Inflation?" Gogoi said on X.
An all-party meeting has been called on September 17, Monday evening - hours before the start of a five-day special session of Parliament, amid buzz over the agenda of the session.
