Opposition demands debate on unemployment, farmer distress in Budget session at all-party meet chaired by PM Modi

A day before the budget session, an all-party meeting was convened by the Centre on Sunday in which the opposition demanded that issues such as farm distress, unemployment and drought should be debated upon in Parliament.

The meeting was chaired by PM Modi and was attended by representatives of all parties, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, TMC leader Derek O'Brien and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah. 

Following the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that PM Modi has further called the meeting of chiefs of all parties having representatives in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on June 19 to discuss "one nation, one election" issue.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke to the media following the meeting and said that the party is not "opposed" to those bills which are in the interest of the people, calling for discussions on farmers distress, unemployment and drought. He also called for early conduct of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

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TMC's O'Brien demanded that the Women's Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, be brought immediately in the session.

Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Modi shared pictures of the meeting and termed it as a "fruitful all-party meeting". He thanked all the leaders for their valuable suggestions and said that all of them have agreed on the smooth running of Parliament so that people's aspirations can be fulfilled. 

The first session of the newly-constituted 17th Lok Sabha will be held from June 17 to July 26.

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(With agency inputs)