Report on snooping on prominent citizens and vital issues like Covid, price rise expected to shake Parliament today

The Monsoon Session of Parliament on Monday will begin in the shadow of a lurking telephone tapping scandal that could see days of disruption and provide powerful ammunition to the Opposition to target the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government.

Throughout Sunday, social media was abuzz with speculation about the worldwide release of a report that showed that telephones of India’s top Ministers, Supreme Court judges, journalists and others were tapped between 2018 and 2019.

“Strong rumours that this evening IST, Washington Post & London Guardian are publishing a report exposing the hiring of an Israeli firm Pegasus, for tapping phones of Modi’s Cabinet Ministers, RSS leaders, SC judges, & journalists,” tweeted senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

In addition, the Opposition has lined up a range of issues including the mismanagement of the Covid-19 situation by the Government and issues of rising prices.

A day before the commencement of the Monsoon Session, the Government on Sunday held an all-party meeting attended by floor leaders of various political parties. Narendra Modi assured that his Government was ready for a “healthy, meaningful discussion” in Parliament on various issues. More than 40 leaders from 33 parties attended the all-party meeting and suggested the subjects to be discussed in the first Parliament session post the second Covid-19 killer wave.

The Opposition is raring to put the Government on the mat on a host of issues – ranging from its handling of the contagion, vaccine shortage, farmers’ agitation, management of the economy, joblessness , border tension with China and the resurfacing of the Rafale jets’ purchase controversy in France.

The Government has identified 29 Bills, including six which will replace Ordinances and two items of financial business during the session that will commence on Monday and conclude on August 13.

The Opposition demanded that issues concerning the common man should be discussed and Bills themselves should not consume all the time of the session that will have business days of about three-weeks.

Modi, who chaired the meeting assured that all views would be taken into consideration and sought the Opposition’s to cooperate in the smooth functioning of the session.

The Opposition leaders raised the issues of farm bills, rise in prices of petrol and diesel and also demanded that the Government bring in reservation for OBCs in NEET.

Punjab parties demanded repeal of the three farm laws. SAD leader from Punjab Harsimrat Badal has moved an adjournment motion for Monday which is supported by all Opposition parties.

One of the key Bills that is likely to be introduced is the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, that empowers consumers to choose their power suppliers, and like it did with the telecom industry, bring down costs and provide better service to consumers.

After the meeting, Modi expressed satisfaction over the discussion and tweeted: “Took part in the All-Party meeting before the start of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. We look forward to a productive session where all issues can be debated as well as discussed in a constructive manner.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister and leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were also present in the meeting.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also attended the meeting.

The meeting also saw participation of floor leaders of all prominent Opposition parties, including Derek O’ Brien from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Tiruchi Siva from the DMK, Samajwadi’s Ram Gopal Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Mishra.

Later, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah met with the floor leaders of parties of the two Houses separately.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties objected to the Centre’s offer for a joint address to all MPs by the Prime Minister on Covid at the Parliament annexe, saying this will be “highly irregular” at a time when Parliament will be in session and it aims to “bypass” norms.

While most of the Opposition including Congress is to move adjournment motions in both the Houses of Parliament, leaders including from the TMC  and the CPI(M),  said that when the Covid pandemic and issues related to it can be discussed on the floor of the House, what was the need to go “outside.”

The Opposition meeting was attended by leaders of the Congress, TMC, NCP, CPI(M), CPI, IUML, RSP, Shiv Sena and the AAP.

“What is the need to go outside Parliament? Any address should be on the floor of the House. This is another idea to bypass Parliament. Stop making a mockery of the Parliament. How far will Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah go? Just when we thought that they cannot go lower, they want to make a presentation in the annexe and not on the floor of the House,” TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien, who was at the meeting, said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the party’s position has always been that when Parliament is in session, whatever the Government has to say, it can do so on the floor of the House.

O’Brien claimed that all Opposition leaders present in the meeting refused to be addressed “outside” Parliament.

Opposition parties also made it clear that the Government must allow proper discussion and review of the Bills before they are passed.