The Budget Session of Parliament, which resumes on Monday after a month-long recess, is likely to begin on a stormy note – the Opposition is all set to target the government over the Rs 12,700 crore Punjab National Bank scam.
The first half of the session was marked by frequent adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as Telugu Desam Party leaders from Andhra Pradesh maintained a continuous protest against the government for allotting little to the state in the Budget. They demanded a special package for their state.
Five days after the Budget Session was adjourned on February 9, the Punjab National Bank informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it had detected “fraudulent and unauthorised transactions” amounting to Rs 11,380 crore at its Brady House branch in South Mumbai. It later said the amount could be Rs 1,323 crore higher.
When the Parliament session resumes on Monday, Opposition parties are likely to corner the Narendra Modi government over the multi-crore bank fraud. Congress Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma has submitted a notice for a discussion on the alleged scam bank fraud, PTI reported.
“We will demand answers from the government,” Sharma told PTI. “We will also demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the scam happened right under his watch.”
Sharma said the Congress will also highlight the BJP-led government’s “selective vendetta” to target political opponents – a reference to the arrest of Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram, in the INX Media case.
Communist Party of India leader D Raja said his party will bring up the PNB fraud, bur also discuss the new bills the government proposes to introduce in Parliament. “We will demand answers...The banking sector is in deep crisis and its credibility is at stake,” he told PTI.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien said his party will coordinate with other Opposition parties to “expose this BJP government that has not delivered on its promises”.
The government, however, is hoping to counter the Opposition with its Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which once passed will give it the power to attach the assets of offenders declared fugitives.
Among the other bills the government has listed are the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill and the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, in the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill and the State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill.
The Centre also is likely to push to have the triple talaq bill passed.
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