Modi skips all-party meeting ahead of Winter Session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the all-party meeting called by his government on Sunday, a day before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal attended the meeting, where opposition parties demanded a discussion on the Pegasus surveillance controversy, inflation and unemployment.

“We were expecting that the prime minister would attend the meeting… We wanted to ask more about the farm laws as there are some apprehensions that these laws may again come in some other form,” said Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader in the Rajya Sabha.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, who wanted to raise the farmers’ demand for law on Minimum Support Prices, walked out of the meeting alleging he was not allowed to speak.

“They [the government] didn’t let any member speak during all-party meeting. I raised the issue of bringing law on MSP guarantee in this session of the Parliament and other issues including extension of BSF’s jurisdiction, etc,” Singh said.

The government bill for repeal of the farm laws has been listed for introduction and passage in the Lok Sabha on the first day of the session on Monday.

“Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will move for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation Act) Act, 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and to amend the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Also to introduce the bill,” Lok Sabha’s list of business for November 29 states.

Opposition leaders present at the customary meeting included Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Anand Sharma (Congress), TR Baalu and Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena), Ramgopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Satish Mishra (BSP), Prasanna Acharya (BJD) and Farooq Abdullah (National Conference).