All-party meeting on Sunday ahead of Parliament winter session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the all-party meeting at the Parliament House complex on the eve of the winter session on Sunday. The meeting may see an assertive opposition flagging issues like assurance of MSP for farmers, rising inflation, Pegasus, fuel price rise, political violence in Tripura, national security and ordinances to give up to five-year extensions to heads of ED, CBI, RAW, IB and top ministry secretaries.

The government will seek opposition's support to pass bills, including repeal of three farm laws, in the winter session that will end on December 23. It will also bring bills to replace ordinances. A bill on cryptocurrency is also reportedly in the offing. A joint committee of Parliament on Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, will submit its report in the first week of the session.

Opposition representatives will demand discussion on a range of contentious issues even while they competitively displaying their jubilant eagerness to formally undo the farms laws through legislative course but will demand that the government accept remaining demands of farmers, including a legal guarantee for MSP.


Congress and many other opposition parties will also revive demand for House debates, with a reply from the PM or the home minister, on Pegasus spyware, since the Supreme Court has found merit in ordering a probe. The issue had nearly washed out the monsoon session . They will also oppose the way the government promulgated the two ordinances to extend the terms of directors of investigating agencies and top secretaries. Many opposition parties have resolved to bring disapproval motions. The Congress parliamentary affairs committee will meet ahead of the all-party meeting, party insiders said and indicated the Congress leadership may also take the initiative to hold a meeting of like-minded opposition parties.

Opposition leaders would also demand that the Houses discuss spiraling inflation, unprecedented rise in LPG prices, demand for slashing central taxes on petrol and diesel and discussing latest revelations on the Rafale deal. Trinamool Congress would particularly seek a debate on the alleged attack on party cadre in BJP-ruled Tripura.