NEW DELHI: Both the Congress and the BJP have issued whips to all their MPs, directing them to be present during Parliament's special session from September 18 to 22. The whip was issued in view of some key agenda items that may be brought up during the special session.
The BJP leaders said the whip has been issued to the MPs from the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha, a day after the government listed a special discussion on Parliament's journey of 75 years, starting from the Constituent Assembly, on the first day of the session.
Among other Bills, the government has also listed the Bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage during the session. The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon Session.
While the Congress whip read: "Very important issues will be taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha during this special session from September 18 to 22. All members of the Congress party in the Rajya Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11 am onwards till the adjournment of the House from September 18 to September 22 without fail and support the party's stand," the whip states.
"This may be treated as most important," it added. A similar whip was issued for all the Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha.
The special session is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament shift from the old building to the new building.
The other listed business for the Lok Sabha includes the Advocates (Amendment) Bill and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, both of which were already passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 3.
The Post Office Bill has also been listed in Lok Sabha business, according to an official bulletin. The Bill was earlier introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10. The list of businesses is tentative and more items can be added.
Trinamul Congress leader Derek O'Brien said the full agenda has not been revealed yet and the government may deploy some "dirty tricks" and add more business to the list. "The agenda for the special Parliament session has not been announced yet," O'Brien said on Thursday, adding, "I say this because in the list of business they have written a very sinister line... They have written that this is not an exhaustive list of businesses. So they will be up to dirty tricks and they can add some business at the last minute."
The Opposition leaders have been raising questions over the agenda for the five-day Parliament session, which starts on September 18.
