Adani Issue, Manipur Crisis, and Pollution to Dominate Winter Session Talks

The Winter Session commencing Monday is scheduled to be held till December 20. Forty-two leaders from 30 parties attended the all-party meeting, which was chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh. During the meeting, the Opposition asked the Centre to allow discussions in the Parliament on the US prosecutors' bribery charges against the Adani Group.

During the meeting, Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi termed the Adani issue as a scam and that the government should not shy away from discussing it on any technicality as it concerns Indian institutions and investors.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the government should set aside other businesses to take up a discussion on the issue as a priority.

"We have also asked to government to take up the Manipur issue...rapes, murders are happening and there is no law and order in Manipur...There is unemployment in the country. All records have been broken. The issue of withdrawal of the forces should be taken up in the Parliament. We are also worried that the pollution situation in Northern India is becoming more and more serious," said Mr Tiwari.

Union minister for parliamentary affairs Kiren Rijiju said that the matters to be taken up in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will be decided by the authorised committees of both the Houses with the consent of the respective Chair.

"The meeting was conducted very well. Leaders from all political parties kept their points forward. We have noted them all and appealed to the leaders that the Winter Session of the Parliament should function smoothly. I hope that healthy discussions will take place in this session. The government is ready to discuss any topic. Our only request is that the House should run well and there should be no ruckus," said Mr Rijiju, briefing about the all-party meeting.

The parliamentary affairs minister added: "Constitution Day will be celebrated in the Constitution House with the members of both the Houses. Since 2015, PM Modi decided that Constitution Day should be celebrated in this country."

Mr Rijiju said that as per its mandate, the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the Waqf Bill has to table the report before the last day of the first week of the Winter Session of the Parliament.

“If there is a delay, they will have to seek the permission of the House," the minister said.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the onus to run the house is on the ruling party. “They never give the Opposition any chance to speak in the Parliament. They then raise an issue due to which the Parliament proceedings get washed out. In the end, they pass their bills in a hurry and the concerns of the public are not raised. The Adani issue, the Manipur situation will be raised in Parliament...Waqf issue will be raised in Parliament which is already under the Joint Parliamentary Committee," she said.

The controversy relating to SEBI chief Madhabi Puri Buch is also expected to figure during the Winter Session. Another contentious proposed law on One Nation, One Election is not yet listed, but the government is working to bring it to the table of the Parliament at the earliest.

The government has listed 16 bills for consideration in the Winter Session. These are the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak (passed by the Lok Sabha and is pending with the Upper House), the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, the Railways Amendment Bill, the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, the Boilers Bill, the Rashtriya Sahakari Vishwavidyalaya Bill, the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill, the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, the Coastal Shipping Bill, the Indian Ports Bill, and the Bills of Lading Bill.