Rajya Sabha Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday wrote a letter to Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu, asking him to convene a special two-week Parliament session in May or June, with an aim to “pass important legislation” and “have debate and discussion on burning political, economic and social issues”.
Naidu, who is also the vice president of India, had said on Friday that the Budget Session of Parliament had been an “eminently forgettable one” due to “total breakdown” in communication among various sections of the Upper House.
“I am aware that the Monsoon Session will be called sometime in mid-July, but a special session sends a different message altogether,” Ramesh told Naidu. “There is no doubt that the complete washout has inflicted great damage on Parliament as an institution, and I think a special session may help retrieve some of its lost prestige.”
In his letter, Ramesh appreciated Naidu for not blaming any particular party for the washout. “I agree with you, but only wish to add that it is the responsibility of the government of the day to engage in meaningful political dialogue will all political parties to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament,” he said. “That was very much in absence in recent weeks. In fact, it has been absent all through the past four years [of Bharatiya Janata Party rule].”
On Friday, the Andhra Pradesh legislature had passed a resolution seeking a special session of Parliament to discuss the state’s Reorganisation Act. The Telugu Desam Party, the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh, has pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance over the Centre’s refusal to give the state special category status.
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