NEW DELHI, Apr 24:
It may have so far been a relatively smooth budget session despite disruptions by the Opposition on issues like the JNU crackdown, Vijay Mallya and Arunachal Pradesh political row, but the going could be tough for the Governemt in the new session, commencing tomorrow with the Congress set to attack its on a host of issues like imposition of President’s rule Uttarakhand and BJP allegations of the interference by the party president Sonia Gandhi and its vice president Rahul Gandhi in the Ishrat Jahan case.
Buoyed by the Uttarakhand High Court order on April 22, quashing President’s rule in Uttarakhand (though the Supreme Court later stayed the High court order till April 27) , the Congress is likely to launch a ‘no holds barred’ attack on the Government in the House on the issue.
According to sources, the principal opposition party has given a notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for the suspension of business of the House for taking up for discuss the political crisis in Uttarakhand. The sources said that Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Deputy leader of the Congress in the House Anand Sharma have given the notice.
This move is being seen as an attempt by the party to attack the BJP Government, after the recent Uttarakhand High court order to strike down the imposition of the President’s rule in that state. The party has termed the Centre’s decision to impose President’s rule as ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional’. Though the Supreme Court has later stayed, till April 27, the Uttarakhand High Court’s order, Congress has said it would request the apex court to remove the Centre’s ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘illegal’ order of imposing the President’s rule in the hill state.
The is confident that at its hearing on April 27, the Apex Court would uphold the order of the Uttarkhand High court. A meeting of the Congress leadership held this weekend to chalking out the party’s strategy for the session decided to disrupt the Parliament on the issue of Uttarakhand, the JNU issue and the BJP allegations of the interference of party president Ms Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi in the Ishrat Jahan case.
“The Congress has zeroed down on nine issues, on which it wants to attack the Modi Government in Parliament”, the party soruces said. Charging the NDA Governmet of making efforts to destabilise elected non BJP Governments in Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, the Congress has said that if the Government does not change its ‘confrontationist’ mindset, it will not cooperate with it on any issue . The party leaders feel that the Congress should rally the Opposition forces to attack the Government unitedly during the session.
Another issue on which the opposition party is likely to mount the attack on the Government is the allegations by BJP leaders and NDA Ministers of the interference of of Congress president Ms Gandhi and her deputy in the prosecution proceedings in the Ishrat Jahan case.
Earlier this week, Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Nirmala Sitharaman and the ruling party spokesperson Sambit Patra levelled serious allegations against Mrs Gandhi in this connection asserting that the Congress had connived to get a political rival eliminated in Gujarat. “Here is a political rival, the then chief minister of Gujarat, whom the Congress could not face politically. So they quietly allowed a terror plot bloom.
By politicising the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, the Congress has undermined the national security. They have weakened the entire security network,” Ms Sitharaman said on Monday last. The Congress has said that the allegations by the BJP were nothing but an attempt to shut down the ongoing trial in the case.
Countering allegations by Minister Ms Sitaraman and party spokesperson Patra , AICC media incharge Randeep Surjewala said,” Unlike the RSS, Ms Gandhi or Mr Rahul Gandhi never intervened or gave any suggestion to the then Home Minister, P Chidambaram or any other person or authority in Government qua any administrative matter including the ‘Ishrat Jahan case’.”
Terming the allegations as an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of closing the ongoing trial in the case, Mr Surjewala said, ”By such mischievous attempts to hoodwink and divert the attention of people of the country, Mr Narendra Modi and Mr Amit Shah cannot put a lid on the truth. PM and BJP President owe an explanation to 125 crore Indians to tell the ‘real motive’ behind desperation to shut down the ongoing trial in ‘Ishrat Jahan case’.
Let truth and justice be not a casualty in this web of deceit being woven by BJP Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP spokespersons. Prime Minister, Mr Modi and BJP President, Mr Shah need to answer as to why are they trying to bypass the judicial findings of Metropolitan Court, Ahmedabad and Division Bench of Gujarat High Court. Why are Government of India and Government of Gujarat not giving sanction for prosecution of officers found responsible for the fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and accomplices? Why are PM and BJP President trying to block an ongoing trial and blatantly interfering with the judicial process? What is it that they seek to hide or are scared of?”, the Congress leader wondered.
The Congress also plans to raise the issue of the communalisation of education institutes as and the visit of the Pakistan Joint investigating team to India to investigate the Pathankot terror attack.
The combative mood of the Congress could make it difficult for the Goverment to ensure a smooth running of Parliament, where several crucial bills like the Uttarakhand Ordinances, the GST Bill, the Factories Bill, the Afforestation Fund Bill and the Enemy Property Bill are key items on the agenda. In the Rajya Sabha, where the Government is in minority, also included in the agenda of the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill 2015; Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill 2015, Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2015, Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill 1987 and Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 as passed by Lok Sabha and referred to the Joint Parliament Committee. Demands for Grants and working of 11 ministries will also be discussed during the session, which will last till May 13.
(UNI)
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