Stage set for govt, Oppn face-off on Constitution in House today

Lawmakers will begin on Friday a rare and landmark debate on the Constitution to mark the 75th year of its adoption against the backdrop of a bitter political face-off between the government and the Opposition that has jammed Parliament and embroiled even the vice-president with the INDIA bloc demanding his removal.

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The Constitution debate will take place in Lok Sabha on December 13 and 14, and in Rajya Sabha on December 16 and 17.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have traded allegations over the last week over alleged links of the opposition party to US billionaire George Soros and bribery charges against the Adani Group. The ongoing commotion is likely to steer narratives during the debate. Some lawmakers from the ruling and Opposition sides didn't rule out the possibility of the debate on the Constitution turning into an all-out verbal war between the two sides.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, the most experienced minister of the National Democratic Alliance, will open the debate in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The discussions will continue on Saturday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the debate in the Lower House.

Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to initiate the debate in the Rajya Sabha on December 16, said people aware of developments. The Congress might field both Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi as speakers during the debate in the Lok Sabha.

Both the BJP and the Congress have issued a three-line whip for all its Lok Sabha members to be present in the House on December 13 and 14.