Uttarakhand, Drought Could Dominate First Few Days Of Parliament Session

New Delhi: When Parliament meets again for the Budget session on Monday after a month-long gap, the opposition will press for discussions on the drought in the country and the political developments in Uttarakhand, which is under President's rule, before other Parliamentary business can be taken up.

Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and his deputy Anand Sharma have given a notice for suspension of business in the Upper House to discuss Uttarakhand.

Several lawmakers have given notice in the Rajya Sabha for a short term discussion on the water crisis and drought in nearly one-third of the country. The Upper House, in which the Congress has greater numbers than the ruling BJP, is likely to see friction between the two sides on Uttarakhand.

The Centre had imposed President's rule in the state and dismissed the Harish Rawat government on March 27 after nine legislators of the ruling Congress joined ranks with the opposition negating the party's thin edge in the 70-member. The imposition of President's rule was held as unconstitutional by the Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday but its decision was stayed by the Supreme Court on Friday till April 27.

In his notice given under Rule 267, Mr Sharma has also sought from Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari the passage of a resolution condemning the Modi government for "destabilistion" of the Uttarakhand government and imposition of President's Rule in the state.

The resolution reads "this House deplores the destabilisation of the democratically elected government in Uttarakhand and disapproves the unjustified imposition of President's Rule there under Article 356 of the Constitution."

The Congress has started a 'Save Democracy, Save Uttarakhand' campaign to mobilise public support against the Centre. The opposition party alleges the BJP is out to destabilise democratically elected Congress governments in the states.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has called an all-party meeting on Sunday, ahead of the session.