Opposition decries ‘overreach’ by central agencies

Several leaders from the opposition attended the all-party meeting called by the government ahead of the budget session of Parliament on Tuesday. Sources said the government explained to the opposition leaders that this was a small session and the focus would be on the Presidential address as well as the presentation of the union budget. After the first two days, discussions would begin in both houses on the reply to the motion of thanks to the President’s address followed by deliberations on the budget, which will be a vote on account.

However, sources said the government assuring opposition leaders that all their concerns would be taken into account hardly cut any ice with them.

At least half of the opposition leaders, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Samajwadi Party, raised the matter of “overreach by central agencies” against them.

Many of them pointed to the timing of the action by the Enforcement Directorate against leaders like JMM president and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. This was followed by the agencies questioning Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family in Bihar over the alleged land-for-jobs scam. The central agency also questioned Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday.

“The constitutional framework of the country is in danger and we are really concerned about that. The way the agencies have been after opposition leaders like Hemant and Lalu Prasad is something that we want to seek answers on from the central government,” senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari who attended Tuesday’s meeting said.

“This action of the government against opposition leaders is indeed very serious,” Amarendra Dhari Singh, leader of the Rajya Sabha from the RJD, told CNN-News18 after the meeting.

The TMC in particular has been very critical of the way the central government has “meted out secondary treatment” to West Bengal, despite assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi whom chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her delegation met in the winter session of Parliament.

“We have approached the government, especially Rajnath Singh, about our concerns and also that our CM will be sitting in protest, demanding economic relief for the state. But unfortunately, even Rajnath Singh had nothing to offer in terms of specific assurances,” senior TMC MP Sudeep Bandyopadhyay told CNN-News18.

“We have asked for cooperation from all opposition MPs in this important session where Rashtrapati will be addressing both houses and the budget will be presented. We have also requested the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajesh Sabha Chairman to revoke the suspension of all suspended MPs. But we will again request the opposition MPs to maintain decorum in the house and not shout slogans or bring placards,” parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said after the meeting.

The budget session of Parliament will get underway on January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint session. On the second day, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim budget. Sitharaman, India’s first full-time woman finance minister, will present her sixth budget, which is a record in itself. This will be her first interim budget presentation. The brief parliamentary session, the last before the Lok Sabha elections, will go on till February 9.