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The Opposition parties will meet on Thursday to formulate a joint strategy in the Lok Sabha if the Centre presents a “full Budget” on Friday. The parties maintained that any such move will be against the conventions of Parliament.
The issue apparently figured at an all-party meeting convened by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan here on Wednesday.
Senior Opposition leaders told BusinessLine that protests, including boycott of the session, are on the cards if the government decides to break all conventions.
“We may have to boycott the entire session. We will decide the Floor strategy on Thursday,” a senior Opposition leader said. Congress leader Veerappa Moily said: “There are certain procedures and conventions in Parliament. The country is going for the elections. The new government will have a new set of agenda. Planning ahead of the election is not ethical and administratively abortive.”
The Congress has been maintaining that the BJP-led government is trying to break the conventions by announcing certain schemes for the social and the farm sector with an eye on the polls.
‘No plan for full Budget’
The government has maintained it has no plans to present a full Budget and it will not break any conventions. But there have been reports that the BJP is keen to announce certain schemes for poorer sections and farmers. Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha had also said the outgoing government has no right to present a full Budget, a Finance Bill and introduce new services. CPI(M) leader in the Lok Sabha, P Karunakaran, said the session must take up issues such as the Rafale deal and high-level corruption. “The Centre has completely failed to address corruption. The formation of a Lokpal is delayed,” Karunakaran said.
‘Modi has sold Air Force’
Addressing a convention of Youth Congress activists on Wednesday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said: “The entire country knows that Modi stole opportunities from the youth to give ₹30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. No one can suppress the truth about Rafale; it will come forth. You have sold the Indian Air Force.”
Wednesday’s meeting was attended by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress’ Sudip Bandopadhyay,and Ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Narendra Singh Tomar.
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