- The special session of Parliament will be held from September 18 to 22.
- Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has called an all-party meeting on September 17, a day before the special session of Parliament starts.
- No specific agenda announced so far for the session, speculations have been doing the rounds if it could be about women’s reservation bill, uniform civil code, simultaneous polls or other subjects
- The agenda will be circulated very shortly,” PTI quoted Joshi as saying
- The opposition has criticized the BJP-led central government for diverting from set precedents by calling a special session of Parliament without disclosing the agenda.
Ahead of the parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM,” the minister posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow,” he added.
With no specific agenda announced so far for the session, speculations have been doing the rounds if it could be about women’s reservation bill, uniform civil code, simultaneous polls, or other subjects
The government has remained tight-lipped over the agenda of the special session despite assurance from Joshi on September 1 that it will be circulated “very shortly”. “Parliament session we have called and there are important items. The agenda will be circulated very shortly,” PTI quoted Joshi as saying. “There is enough time, and required mandatory time for the circulation of agenda will be followed”, the minister had said.
The opposition has criticized the BJP-led central government for diverting from set precedents by calling a special session of Parliament without disclosing the agenda. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week demanding a discussion and debate on several issues including the current economic situation of the country. Gandhi said the session is being held without any consultation with other political parties and none of them have any idea on the agenda for the session.
“You have convened a special five-day session of the Parliament beginning 18 September 2023. I must point out that this Special Session has been convened without any consultation with other political parties. None of us have any idea of its agenda,” she said in her letter. “All we have been communicated is that all five days have been allocated for Government Business. We most certainly want to participate in the Special Session because it will give us an opportunity to raise matters of public concern and importance,” Sonia Gandhi said.
Generally, three parliamentary sessions are held in a year- Budget, Monsoon, and Winter sessions. It will be the first such special session under the nine years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government which had convened a special joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to mark the midnight GST roll-out on June 30, 2017. However, it will be a full-fledged session of five days this time with both Houses meeting separately as they usually do during sessions.
On August 31, Joshi announced a “special session” of Parliament for five days from September 18 but did not spell out any specific agenda for it. “Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi had posted on X.
(With inputs from agencies)
