NEW DELHI, Jan. 30 -- The crucial Budget Session of Parliament will begin on Friday with President Droupadi Murmu addressing both Houses assembled together in the Lok Sabha chamber. After the President's address, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
On February 1, Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for the eighth consecutive time. It will be the first full Budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government after the BJP fell short of the majority mark in the Lok Sabha in the 2024 general elections.
As the Opposition gears up to corner the government on a number of issues, the session is likely to get off to a stormy start. Opposition parties are likely to demand a discussion on the alleged mismanagement of the ongoing Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, where 30 pilgrims were killed in a stampede.
At the all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the eve of the session, Opposition parties also accused the government of politicising the parliamentary committees and trying to push its agenda by using its majority.
The Opposition also accused the BJP-led government of politicising the Kumbh congregation and promoting VIP culture at the cost of the common man.
The Opposition parties further alleged that the government is steamrolling its agenda in parliamentary panels and disregarding parliamentary procedures for finalising House business at the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee.
"We expressed our concerns over the biased manner in the conduct of Parliament proceedings," Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, told reporters.
A section of the Opposition leaders questioned the government over the publication of a parliamentary bulletin on the number of days allotted for discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, contending that this was the prerogative of the Business Advisory Committee.
"We have taken note of their concerns. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will decide which issues will be taken up for discussion. We hope for a smooth and productive Budget Session. Cooperation from all parties is essential for a meaningful and constructive parliamentary session," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
The government has listed 16 Bills, besides financial business, for the Budget Session, which will be held from January 31 to February 13 before breaking for recess to examine the Budget proposals. The session will reconvene on March 10 and continue until April 4.
The all-party meeting was attended by Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi, and Pramod Tewari; Trinamool Congress leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien; RSP leader N K Premachandran; BJD leader Sasmit Patra; DMK leader T R Baalu; Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav; JMM leader Mahua Maji; and NCP-SP leader Fouzia Khan, among others.
The 16 Bills listed for the Budget session include the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Railways (Amendment) Bill, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill.
Asked about the Opposition's demand for a discussion on the stampede at the Maha Kumbh, Rijiju said the decision would be taken by the committee. "There are many important issues... the Kumbh was also mentioned," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said Opposition leaders have decided that the INDIA bloc will raise all issues together during the Budget Session.
After the all-party meeting, Tiwari criticized the "politicization of the Kumbh," saying VIP movement during the event was creating difficulties for the common man.
BJD leader Sasmit Patra accused the BJP of going back on its promise of granting special status to Odisha. Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader E. T. Mohammed Basheer said he raised the issue of the weakening of the law-making process in the country. "The JPC on Waqf was constituted to have discussions, but members were not given enough opportunity to speak," Basheer said.
AIADMK member M. Thambi Durai urged the government to make efforts to regain control over Katchatheevu Island.
The Opposition is also likely to be united in questioning the Modi government over the "economic slowdown" and global challenges after President Donald Trump returned to power in the US, particularly regarding expected radical changes in immigration, visas, and tariffs under the new Trump administration.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.