Chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the meeting saw the participation of 50 leaders from 36 political parties, including several Union Ministers, with the aim of ensuring a constructive and productive session. The Winter Session of Parliament is set to start from Monday, December 1.
An all-party meeting was held at the Parliament House Complex on Sunday to discuss preparations for the Winter Session of Parliament. Chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the meeting saw the participation of 50 leaders from 36 political parties, including several Union Ministers, with the aim of ensuring a constructive and productive session. The winter session of Parliament is set to take place on Monday, December 1 and will continue till December 19, as announced by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The opposition MPs have decided to raise many issues involving discussions related to the ongoing SIR, equality, income, delhi blast, pollution and foreign policy. RJD leader MP Manoj Kumar told ANI, “Most of the political discussions are fictional, even during the elections, while the basic issues of the public are being ignored. The mainstream media is largely responsible for this. I hope the government thinks beyond elections. Aren’t income and equality the issues to discuss? If we talk about India’s GDP growth story and see that it’s not reflected in daily life, shouldn’t we discuss it?” “If we talk about the concerns people have regarding the SIR, then see if we had not appealed to the Supreme Court, the relief the public received in terms of documents would not have been possible as well. These need to be discussed in detail; otherwise, Parliament will remain a museum-like structure,” he said.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, “The SIR was conducted across the entire state in a very short span of time, which is impossible. Blasts have occurred in the capital. Prime Minister Modi’s foreign policies are completely lost. In addition, air pollution in Delhi and other states must be discussed in detail. We have a strategic meeting today at 6 pm, and the Business Advisory Committee meeting is happening at 4 pm. Let us see what is on the BJP’s agenda.” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI, “I hope the upcoming session will be a productive one. There will be discussions on important issues of the country. I know the ruling side has an agenda, but the opposition has one as well. As you can see, during the SIR, so many BLOs are working under pressure, and so many have lost their lives…The process has become inhumane and insensitive, raising many questions. Revelations have also emerged regarding Aaditya Thackeray’s alleged vote theft in the Mumbai constituency, made during a press conference. Rahul Gandhi has also raised several issues, citing Karantaka and Haryana. The misuse of our agencies is also an issue. These are all the issues. Whether it’s the issue of pollution or adulterated food, which are the opposition’s issues, and I hope we will get a chance to discuss them too. These issues will be raised at the All-Party Meeting. With the hope that the Central government keeps the Parliament functioning smoothly, we will function accordingly,” she said.
CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar told ANI, “Tomorrow the session begins. Today, we will have a formal discussion and express our views, but the ruling party will accept nothing. They must have prepared a list of bills, and they will also come up with new agendas. Last time, the list included some suggested bills, but on the penultimate day, they introduced a new constitutional amendment. I have little faith in this meeting, but we will all attend and register our views. As far as my party, CPI, is concerned, we will demand a discussion on the Election Commission’s functioning.” He said, “The Election Commission is a constitutional authority, but the parliament also has every right to discuss its functioning. Why is it required? The Election Commission is not accepting proposals from political parties. Registered political parties are an integral part of the system. So, the Election Commission should understand their views and take them into account. But the Election Commission deliberately holds ritualistic meetings and rejects any suggestions, especially those from opposition parties. So why is it so? Suppose, on electoral reforms, why can’t they take the views of opposition parties? We come prepared with our notes, give suggestions, and express our views, but they stick to their own decision. The SIR, vote-chori, many issues are related to the Election Commission’s functioning. We will demand a discussion on the functioning of the Election Commission in the Parliament.”
Congress leader and MP Tanuj Punia told ANI, “All our issues are for the benefit of the public. Our efforts are always to put the public’s issues forward. Our respected leader, Rahul Gandhi, is always upfront about public issues. Our biggest concern right now is the way fake voters are being added during the SIR while genuine voters are being removed. We will raise the questions being raised about the entire SIR process. Thus, SIR will be the main issue.” Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that the government is fully prepared to address the opposition’s concerns, even as some leaders warned of creating a ruckus in Parliament over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls during the winter session.
Speaking to reporters following an all-party meeting today, Rijiju said that the government is prepared to address the issue, emphasising that Parliament “belongs to everyone” and urging all parties to uphold the sanctity of parliamentary debate. “No one said that Parliament will not function or will not let it function. Some leaders said they can create a ruckus in the House over SIR. I am saying this in a positive manner that we are ready to listen to the opposition… Parliament belongs to everyone; it belongs to the country. There is a method to discuss every issue in Parliament. There are rules, there are conventions,” the Union Minister said. On the all-party meeting, Rijiju described the meeting, attended by 50 leaders from 36 political parties, as “very good and very productive” and assured that all suggestions would be placed before the Business Advisory Committees of both Houses.
He further appealed for cooperation during discussions in both houses, noting that the differences in democracies are natural but must not translate into disruptions. “The meeting was very good and very productive. I thank the floor leaders of all political parties. Everyone participated and presented their party’s views. We will consider all suggestions received today from the floor leaders of political parties and present them to the Business Advisory Committee. 36 political parties and 50 leaders attended this meeting. On behalf of the government, I assure you that we will continue to engage with the opposition in this manner to ensure the smooth functioning of the Winter Session of Parliament,” Rijiju said. “I also request opposition party leaders to cooperate in ensuring the smooth functioning of Parliament. In democracies, especially parliamentary democracies, deadlocks occur. There are differences among political parties. Everyone has to work with their own ideologies and agendas, so there will be differences. Despite these differences, if we all decide not to disturb the House, whatever opposition we want to raise, we should do so by speaking in the House. We should not disrupt the House in any way. House proceedings should continue,” he added.
Today, the Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) has allocated time for several key bills and discussions for the Winter Session. The government has listed 13 Bills for the session, many of which have not been examined by a Standing Committee. The BAC has recommended a time for several key legislative items and debates. According to the BAC schedule, the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and the Central Excise Bills will each be discussed for three hours. Similarly, the Supplementary Demand for Grants has been allotted three hours of debate. The Health Cess Bill, which is scheduled for introduction this week, has been allocated six hours for discussion. The government has also proposed a 10-hour debate on the ‘Vande Mataram’ issue, though the Speaker will take the final decision on this.
The House Business Advisory Committee (BAC) recommends the time to be allocated for business in the House. This Committee has Members from the ruling and opposition parties. The Session is scheduled to take up several important bills and financial matters. Some of the key legislative business includes: Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025; Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025; Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025; National Highways (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Atomic Energy Bill, 2025; Corporate laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Securities Markets Code Bill (SMC), 2025; Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Higher Education Commission of India Bill, 2025; Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and Health Security and National Security Cess Bill, 2025.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will brief accredited media representatives on the opening day of the Sixth Session of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha on December 1 (Monday) at 10:00 am. The briefing will take place at Hans Dwar, Parliament House. The INDIA bloc floor leaders have also called for a meeting at the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament on Monday. Parliament is set to have 15 sittings across 19 days. Private Members’ Bills are set to be taken for consideration on December 5 and 19, and Private Members’ resolutions on December 12.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from news agency ANI).
