ALL-PARTY MEET SIGNALS HEATED WINTER SESSION

The Winter Session of Parliament begins on Monday under the shadow of SIR with several parties uniting against it and threatening to stall proceedings in both Houses if a discussion on it is not allowed.

- Agencies

At an all-party meeting convened by the Centre to seek the Opposition's support for smooth functioning of Parliament, several parties raised the demand for a discussion on SIR of electoral rolls together with issues of national security in the wake of the Delhi blast and air pollution in the national capital.

Issues like foreign policy, price rise, unemployment, new labour codes and federalism amid charges that governors sitting on bills passed by state legislatures and funds of Opposition-ruled states being held up.

The government, while seeking the Opposition's support, said it would continue to engage with all parties to ensure smooth functioning of the session.

At the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, the Opposition kept up its demand for a discussion on the larger issue of electoral reforms and not specifically on SIR. The government assured the opposition that it will convey its views on it soon.

The government also pushed for a discussion on national song Vande Mataram and 150th anniversary of its composition, but several opposition parties, the TMC not one of them, were not enthusiastic about it.

The Lok Sabha has allotted 10 hours for the discussion and the date will be decided by Speaker Om Birla.

The Lok Sabha has listed The Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, for Monday and allotted three hours for it.