AHEAD of the Winter Session of Parliament, the Government on Saturday asserted that it was ready for a discussion on all issues provided the Opposition ensures an enabling environment in the House. The impending expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha, three bills to replace criminal laws and a proposed law for the appointment of Election Commissioners are issues set to dominate the Winter Session. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over a meeting of floor leaders of political parties in Parliament on Saturday which was attended by Parliamentary AffairsMinister Pralhad Joshi, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Gaurav Gogoi and Pramod Tewari, TMC leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’Brien and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Fouzia Khan, among others.

 

  As leaders of political parties in Parliament met here on Saturday to discuss the agendafortheWinterSessionbeginning on Monday, Opposition leaders demanded English nomenclature for the three bills seeking to replace criminal laws while also flagging issues of price rise, “misuse” of probe agencies, and Manipur. Briefing reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, the Government assured during the meeting that it is ready for discussion on all issues. He, however, said, the Opposition must ensure an enabling environmentfor discussion to take place. Joshi said the Government is fully ready for a structured debate and has requested the opposition to let the House function smoothly. He added that the Government has takentheOpposition’ssuggestions positively. Joshi said 19 bills and two financial items were under consideration.

 

DeputyleaderofOpposition in the Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwarisaid,theOppositionhas flagged concerns over the issues of China “taking away” our land, Manipur, price rise and “misuse” of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The results of the Assembly elections in four states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana - - on Sunday are also expected to have a bearing on the Winter Session of Parliament that begins on Monday and will continue till December 22. The report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee recommending the expulsion of Moitra from the Lower House over a “cash-for-query” complaint is also listed for tabling in the House on Monday, the first day of the session. At the all-party meeting on Saturday, TMC leaders demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Ethics Committee report, before any decision is taken to expel Moitra from the House. Tewari said the Opposition alsoinsistedona discussionin Parliament on issues such as the situation in Manipur, rising inflation, “misuse” of the EnforcementDirectorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI),the“imposition” of Hindi through the names of laws, particularly in reference to the three bills to replace criminal laws.