PM Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi (Press Trust of India photo)
The Day 2 of Parliament's Winter Session is expected to be action packed, with the Opposition planning to highlight the issue of black money and uniting to block key bills. Before the session started, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, "All MPs have a responsibility to run the country" and the Opposition should play a "constructive role".
Here are the latest developments in this story:
"We all friends who sit in Parliament will work together - that's my belief," the Prime Minister said on Monday. " A new session starts, we have to work with a calm mind in the cold climate."
But the Opposition plans to block the government's efforts to move key legislation in Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority. The legislations include the insurance bill, and the amendments to the land acquisition bill and the MNREGA.
Along with the Congress' 66 members, 105 of the 250 lawmakers in the Upper House are against the Insurance Bill, which seeks to raise the cap on foreign direct investment in the insurance sector. Less than 70 support the bill. Even NDA ally Shiv Sena has offered conditional support to the bill.
BSP chief Mayawati, too, has said her party would not oppose the bill if their suggestions have been factored in. The Congress is yet to make its stand clear, but party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said there was "no blank cheque" in legislation or politics. The Left parties, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), RJD and the Samajwadi Party are on the same page on the bill.
The government is also expected to face fire on the black money issue. The Trinamool Congress and the JD(U) have already given notice for the suspension of the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha today. "If we don't get satisfactory answers we will not allow Parliament to function," warned its parliamentary party chief Sudip Bandopadhyay.
"Black money was one of the key poll planks of the BJP, but the government has done nothing. We want a threadbare discussion," said JD(U) leader KC Tyagi.
The BJP may take heart from the Shiv Sena's promise of support. Despite their recent acrimony in Maharashtra, the Sena's Sanjay Raut had said the party will support the government's agenda in Parliament.
The Winter Session will continue till December 23 and will have 22 sittings. The government has detailed 37 bills - including the insurance bill and the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Bill.
"This session will witness a lot of hungama (chaos)," JD(U)'s KC Tyagi had warned after an all-party meeting on Sunday. To minimise disruptions, the Rajya Sabha has decided to shift the Question Hour, the first item on agenda, from 11am to noon this session.
Both Houses were adjourned on Monday after obituary references for the Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Union minister Murli Deora - who died early on Monday - and Lok Sabha MP from the Trinamool Congress Kapil Krishna Thakur, who had died last month.
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