INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: The monsoon session of Parliament, in which the contentious Delhi Services Ordinance may be brought in as a legislation, will
begin on July 20, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday.Though a short session spread over 17 sittings until August
11, it is likely to be politically significant in light of the opposition's efforts to close ranks against the Modi government over the
purported "attack" on India's federal structure.Already, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has challenged the ordinance in Supreme
Though the list of legislative business likely to be taken up during the session remains unclear as yet, the stage will be set for high
drama in Parliament if the government moves to introduce or pass the legislation replacing the ordinance.So far, most opposition parties
barring Congress have formally announced their intent to oppose the passage of the bill in the Upper House, where the NDA does not have a
clear majority.At the meeting of opposition leaders in Patna this month, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had conveyed to Kejriwal that
his party will in principle oppose any attack on the Constitution and its federal principles
However, the party had stopped short of formally pledging support to AAP, saying that a joint opposition strategy on the issue will be
devised once the Parliament session is convened and all non-BJP parties meet to discuss the common action plans on the legislative agenda
and other issues.Opposition parties will also seek to corner the government over the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, which has continued
unabated for close to two months since the beginning of May
The Prime Minister's emphasis some days earlier on the need to implement the Uniform Civil Code, which triggered sharp reactions from the
session to run smoothly: Congress leader Pramod TiwariJoshi, however, urged political parties to contribute towards "productive discussions"
"Monsoon Session, 2023, of Parliament will commence from July 20 and continue till August 11
Urge all parties to contribute towards productive discussions on legislative business and other items during the session," he
tweeted.Congress's Jairam Ramesh shot back almost immediately
"...and we hope Joshi-avare that the Govt
will allow discussion on ALL issues of concern to the people that the Opposition has been raising continuously, including those on which the
Prime Minister has maintained a studied silence," he said, referring to the violence in Manipur.The government is also expected to introduce
the National Research Foundation Bill, which was cleared by the cabinet this week
The proposed foundation will be a new funding agency to bolster the country's research competence in areas of science and technology.
