The government has called for a "special session of Parliament" to be held from September 18 to 22, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi posted on X (formerly Twitter), adding, that there will be five sittings. "Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having a fruitful discussion and debate in Parliament," he said.
Government sources have, so far, been tight-lipped on possible agendas.
There is speculation the special session is being called to begin the process of shifting from the old to the new Parliament building. So, this session may begin in the old and end in the new.
Also, it may not be a joint session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Government sources have, though, also said the agenda is likely to include Amrit Kaal celebrations and India as a 'developed nation'. There is no hint of any important bill that will be passed.
Opposition Reacts, Criticises Timing
The call for the special session has been , with those from Maharashtra pointing out the dates clash with "India's most important festival of Ganesh Chaturthi".
"This special session called during India's most important festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is unfortunate and goes against Hindu sentiments. Surprised at choice of dates!" Shiv Sena UBT's Priyanka Chaturvedi said, while the Nationalist Congress Party's Supriya Sule asked for it to be rescheduled.
"Whilst we all look forward towards meaningful discussions and dialogue, the dates coincide with Ganpati Festival, a major festival in Maharashtra. Urging the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister to take the above into consideration," Ms Sule posted on X.
The Congress has also reacted; party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh called the special session "managing the news cycle, Modi style" and flagged the mega opposition meet in Mumbai.
"Managing the News Cycle, Modi style.
1. News today has been dominated by latest revelations on the Modani-scam.
2. Tomorrow the ever-growing INDIA parties meet in Mumbai.
How to counter? Announce a 5-day special session of Parliament when Monsoon session has just ended 3 weeks back. Regardless, the JPC demand will continue to resonate inside and outside Parliament," Mr Ramesh said.
The timing of the special session does coincides with the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A's third meeting.
READ |INDIA Bloc Has Several Choices For PM Post, BJP Has One: Uddhav Thackeray
The special session will also take place amid several major developments, including India having just hosted the G20 Summit in Delhi; this will be in the national capital between September 8 and 10.
In addition, the session will also take place after the Supreme Court was told the government is open to the conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir. During the court's hearing on multiple petitions challenging the government's scrapping of Article 370 in J&K, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said the decision on when to hold elections in the former state lay in the hands of central and state poll bodies.
READ | Kapil Sibal, Centre's Lawyer In Heated Argument During Article 370 Hearing
However, on a timeline for restoration of statehood to J&K - a question posed by the court on Wednesday, Mr Mehta said the government is "unable to give an exact time period for conversion".
What Was The Last Parliament Session?
The last session of Parliament was the Monsoon Session, which began on July 20 and wrapped up on August 12; 23 bills were passed by the government on that occasion. The session was marked by several protests from the opposition on a number of issues, including the violence in Manipur and ruckus over the contentious Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Most significantly, the session also witnessed a dramatic, three-day-long debate on a 'no confidence' motion introduced by the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi ruling in Telangana.
READ | Monsoon Session Ends: Political Tone Set For 2024, Big Ticket Bills Passed
Several top leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, took on the government, for whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the fightback, setting the tone for the big Lok Sabha battle of 2024.
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