Opposition raises Farooq Abdullah's detention at all-party meet

Ahead of the Parliament’s winter session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (November 17) assured at the all-party meeting that the government was ready to discuss all issues. During the meeting, the opposition raised Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah’s detention and demanded that he be allowed to attend the House.

“At the government-convened meeting, the Opposition demanded that the issues of economic slowdown, job loss and farmers’ distress must be discussed during the session,” Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

At the meeting attended by members from 27 parties, Prime Minister Modi said that the most important job of the House was to discuss and debate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters. PM Modi said that this session should also be as productive as the last one, according to Joshi.

“Government is ready to discuss all issues within the framework of rules and procedures of the Houses. Constructive discussion in Parliament also keeps the bureaucracy alert,” Modi was quoted as saying at the meeting.

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Sources said that opposition leaders had raised the issue of Abdullah’s detention and demanded that he be allowed to attend the session, but got no definite response from the government. National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi said, “The government is under constitutional obligation to ensure Farooq Abdullah’s participation in the Parliament session.”

“How can a parliamentarian be detained illegally? He should be allowed to attend the Parliament,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

The government has detained Abdullah under the Public Safety Act (PSA), a law enacted by his father and NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1978 when he was the chief minister.

Besides Modi, the all-party meeting was also attended by BJP chief Amit Shah and several senior opposition leaders. The meeting was also attended by Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot, Chowdhury, Azad and deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma.

Also read: All party meeting an excuse for the impending massive defeat: BJP

TMC leader Derek O Brien, LJP leader Chirag Paswan and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Telugu Desam Party Jayadev Galla and V Vijaysai Reddy were among those present at the meeting.

The meeting was called by the government and moderated by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Meghwal. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had on Saturday (November 16) appealed to all political parties for proper cooperation in order to ensure smooth functioning of the House.

After the all-party meeting, the Speaker said that floor leaders of different parties mentioned various issues that they wished to be discussed during the winter session, beginning on November 18 until December 13.