Parliament Updates: Stormy Winter Session On Cards, BJP Likely to Raise Mahua-Ethics Panel Issue

The Winter Session of the Parliament commenced on Monday amidst cheers of ‘teesri bar Modi sarkar’ by BJP MPs in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon after BSP member Danish Ali staged a protest demanding action against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri for allegedly making derogatory remarks against him.

Ahead of the commencement of the Winter session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “I have been urging for your (Opposition) cooperation in the House. Today, I also speak politically – it is beneficial for you too if you give a message of positivity to the country. It is not right for democracy if your image becomes that of hatred and negativity. Opposition is equally important for democracy, it should be equally capable.”

PM Modi, speaking on BJP’s victory in three states, advised the Opposition to “learn from the defeat”. “…If I speak based on the recent elections’ results, this is a golden opportunity for our colleagues sitting in the Opposition. Instead of taking out your anger of defeat in this session, if you go ahead with positivity and learn from the defeat and leave behind the tendency of negativity of the last 9 years, the country will change their point of view for them…” he said.

The report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee recommending Mahua Moitra’s expulsion from Lok Sabha over a “cash-for-query” complaint is likely to be discussed on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament.

Here are the latest updates on the first day of Winter Session of Parliament-

• Commenting on BJP’s victory in three state elections, CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem said, “I don’t think it is Modi magic. It is because of the disunity among secular opposition parties. It is a lesson to Congress who is the leader of opposition unity…”
• CPI MP P Santhosh Kumar said, “…We have already made our stand very clear that there should be a place for the opposition’s agenda as well… The government is likely to introduce 19 bills… We will take part in the discussion… We have demanded that the opposition should go to the place to raise genuine voices…”.
• Opposition parties met in LoP Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in Parliament to discuss issues before the Parliament session.

• Ahead of the commencement of the session, BJP leader Rajendra Rathore spoke about BJP’s victory in three states and said, “PM Modi has got the blessing of the public. This victory is due to the trust that people have in PM Modi and his guarantees.”
• CPI MP Binoy Viswam, on the other hand, said “Modi magic is temporary”. “The magic (PM Modi’s) is temporary. It happened because the INDIA alliance could not fight the battle unitedly. The spirit and the politics of the INDIA alliance have to be upheld. I am sure that if all the parties of the INDIA alliance learn the lessons from this election, they can win back in 2024. We will try for that. Congress as a main force brand in their ends has to relook into its own strategy. It has to learn the qualities of unity. That is the main lesson from this election. I’m sure that they will learn it,” he said.
• The Bills to likely be tabled on the opening day of the Winter Session include one to regulate the appointments for the Chief Election Commission and other election commissioners.
• The session will run until December 22.