In a bid to break the ongoing deadlock in the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday (August 5). During the meeting, the proposed Delimitation Bill and the FCRA bill were reportedly discussed.
According to a PTI report, quoting sources, the meeting took place at Rahul’s office in Parliament House. The report further stated that the move was a “confidence-building measure” from the government’s side, adding that the meeting lasted for 50 minutes.
While Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present at the meeting, Gogoi and K C Venugopal joined it later.
Bid to break deadlock
During the meeting, several issues, including the proposed Delimitation bill and the contentious FCRA bill, were reportedly discussed.
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It was Rijiju’s second meeting with Gandhi in the last 10 days. After meeting Rahul, Rijiju also met Home Minister Amit Shah at his office in Parliament House.
The report stated that Rijiju will also reach out to other opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, in an effort to break the deadlock.
Outreach to Opposition
Since the Monsoon session began on July 20, the Lok Sabha has not been able to complete its Question Hour. Five bills have been passed without discussion amid din.
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 PM on Wednesday as the Opposition continued their sloganeering over various issues, including police action against students.
As soon as the House met, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked members to go back to their seats and allow the House to take up the Question Hour.
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“Sloganeering, whether inside or outside the House, is not good for democracy. By showing placards and sloganeering, you are lowering the dignity of the House,” Birla told Opposition members.
Birla said many members have approached him saying that important questions are listed but the House is not able to take up the Question Hour due to the disruption created by the Opposition in the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Protest outside Parliament
Earlier in the day, Opposition MPs, including Rahul, Priyanka and several others, staged a protest march in Parliament. The march began from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal and proceeded to Makar Dwar, where the leaders raised slogans against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The protest was held over the alleged police action against CJP protestors on July 20, the issue of alleged embezzlement of Ayodhya Ram Mandir donations, along with several other matters flagged by the Opposition.
(With agency inputs)