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Opposition plans to disrupt Modi's 'smooth Budget', TMC to boycott it

Modi reached out to the Opposition on Monday, but several parties have decided to corner the government over key issues.

New Delhi: Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to Opposition parties to keep political differences aside and let Parliament function, the crucial Budget session which begins today appears to be in trouble already.

Though Modi reached out to the Opposition at an all-party meeting on Monday, several Opposition parties said they have decided to corner the government over key issues like demonetisation and advancing the date of the Budget session. The Congress has even threatened to try and disrupt the finance minister’s Budget speech.

The Trinamool, which did not attend the meeting, has decided to boycott the first two days of the Budget session, including the Budget presentation. The Shiv Sena also did not attend the meeting though no official reason was given.

The Trinamool which was at the forefront of the agitation against demonetisations, resulting in a virtual washout of the Winter session, has 34 MPs in the Lower House.

Branding the Parliament as a ‘Mahapanchayat’, Modi sought the cooperation of all parties in the smooth running of the House. He said that Parliament should function despite differences that may crop up during the poll season.

The reasons given by the Trinamool for skipping the Budget were many, including Saraswati Puja on February 1, and the recent arrest of their top leaders, Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal.

“Trinamool MPs will not be present in Parliament on the first two days of the Budget session in protest against demonetisation which was implemented without taking Parliament into confidence,” TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee said after the party's parliamentary party meet chaired by Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

The Congress, on the other hand, has taken strong objection to the shifting of the presentation of Budget by almost a month, from February 28 to February 1.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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