The Monsoon Session of Parliament will be held from July 20 to August 11, amid a raging debate on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), continuing Manipur violence and contentious Delhi ordinance besides testing the Opposition unity on the floor of the House.
Announcing the schedule, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi urged all parties to contribute towards “productive discussions” on legislative business and other items during the session.
The session is happening at a time there is a renewed debate on the UCC with Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising the pitch, though it is unlikely to come up in this session. It also comes after joint Opposition meetings – the second to be held in Bengaluru in mid-July – ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said they hoped that the government "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".
Spread across 23 days with sittings on 17 days, the session will see the government coming up with a bill to replace the contentious ordinance that deprives the Delhi government of control over its bureaucrats, an issue on which the Opposition would try to make a point in Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA does not have majority on its own.
The ordinance will also test the unity of the Opposition, as the AAP has been insisting that the Congress announce its stand on the issue. The Opposition floor meetings chaired by Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will be keenly watched on the attendance of parties like AAP.
Among the Bills, the government is likely to bring the National Research Foundation Bill, aimed at setting up a new funding agency to bolster the country's research competence in areas of science and technology.
The continuing violence in Manipur would be one of the main topics for the Opposition, which has sought to put both the union government and Manipur administration on the dock. The entire Opposition bloc is united in demanding the ouster of N Biren Singh and has questioned the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
Opposition leaders are playing down some differences on issues like UCC and the strategy adopted on the ordinance issue.
Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O’Brien said on Twitter, “parties fighting to protect democracy & create jobs are not photocopies of each other. After Patna Summit, the second summit will consolidate issues on which there is 100% agreement. On some issues, all parties will not be on the same page. Understandable. At the macro level, all clear.”
Price rise and unemployment will continue to be high on the agenda of the Opposition, which is charged up after Congress’ Karnataka victory. Along with the Adani issue, the Opposition is also likely to raise the issue of the purchase of Predator drones from the United States.