New Delhi, 16 July (H.S.): Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on July 20, the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) held a strategic meeting on Wednesday under the chairmanship of CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The meeting was attended by Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and other members of the parliamentary party. The opposition's agenda for the upcoming session was discussed in detail.

Following the meeting, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X that the party would hold the Modi government accountable during the Monsoon Session over issues including alleged theft of temple offerings, betrayal of public faith, paper leaks and the deterioration of the education system, institutional capture, attempts to split political parties, allegations of corruption, inflation, foreign policy failures, pressure to promote ethanol blending, indiscriminate deforestation, and alleged attacks on the rights of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and minorities.

Kharge said these issues were discussed extensively during the meeting and that the party had resolved to raise them forcefully in Parliament.

After the meeting, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh and Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain addressed a press conference at the party headquarters. They said the meeting focused on the issues the party intends to raise during the session and also deliberated on a strategy to counter the Bills the government is expected to introduce.

Jairam Ramesh said the meeting lasted for nearly one-and-a-half hours and included discussions on the proposed Delimitation Bill, the Constitution Amendment Bill, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan Bill, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Bill. He said the Congress would strongly oppose these proposed legislations.

Ramesh said the government has convened an all-party meeting on July 19 to brief political parties on the agenda for the Monsoon Session. He remarked that although around 35 representatives attend the all-party meeting, only four members from the government are allowed to speak.

He reiterated that the Congress would oppose the Delimitation Bill, alleging that the government intends to push it through under the guise of implementing women's reservation. He said the opposition had opposed such a move earlier and would continue to do so.

Ramesh further said the Congress would raise issues including the alleged theft of donations, betrayal of public faith, irregularities in the examination and education system, the NEET examination controversy, the alleged E20 scam, the weakening of India's foreign policy, and rising inflation. He alleged that there was a wide gap between the government's promises and its actions. While reiterating the Congress's support for women's reservation, he accused the government of attempting to link it with the Delimitation Bill.

He added that the Monsoon Session of Parliament would last 19 days, with 16 working days, and said the Congress would question every step of the government while raising public concerns in Parliament in coordination with the opposition alliance.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar