Published 13:56 IST, September 14th 2020
'May you sit through & answer on 3Cs': Congress' Ramesh to PM Modi as Parliament convenes
Jairam Ramesh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer the questions which will be put forth by the Opposition in the parliament.Â
The Monsoon session of Parliament commenced on Monday amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Ahead of the session, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh hit out at the ruling BJP, firing back at a tweet of the Prime Minister and urging him to answer the questions which will be put forth by the opposition in Parliament.
'Sit through, listen and answer'
Jairam Ramesh in a response to a tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him to listen and answer the questions which may be asked by the opposition in 'national interest'. According to Jairam Ramesh, Congress is gearing up to question the ruling party on the three Cs - COVID-19, Collapse of the economy and China.
PM Modi's address before the Monsoon session
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media soon after reaching the Parliament house in the morning. He wished all parliamentarians for fulfilling their duties amid the Coronavirus pandemic. In addition, he also hoped the session to 'be a productive one'
"The Budget Session was cancelled because of the pandemic. The Parliament session is beginning at distinct times. There's Corona and there is duty. The MPs have chosen the path to duty. I congratulate and express gratitude to them. This time Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will be held at different times in a day. It'll be held on Saturday-Sunday too. All MPs accepted this," PM Modi added.
Monsoon Session of Parliament
The fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha and 252nd session of Rajya Sabha, subject to exigencies of government business, may conclude on October 1.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the session will provide a total of 18 sittings spread over a period of 18 days (all the days including Saturdays and Sundays of the ensuing session will be working days) and a total of 47 items have been identified for being taken up during the Monsoon Session 2020. (These include 45 Bills and two financial items).
This will be the first Parliament session after a long hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities have ensured all safety and precautionary measures to conduct the session as per guidelines issued for COVID-19. All MPs have been asked to undergo a COVID test and only those with a negative report will be allowed to be a part of the session. The security and secretarial staff in Parliament have also been asked to take coronavirus tests before their entry.
Several of the opposition parties are likely to oppose four of the bills replacing ordinances relating to the farm sector and the banking regulation amendments. The opposition is seeking to corner the government on its handling of the standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the COVID-19 situation, economic downturn and unemployment, and is pressing for discussions on these issues.
Updated 13:57 IST, September 14th 2020