NEW DELHI: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged all parties to ensure that Parliament functions without disruption as the Winter session begins on Monday. Speaking on Sunday after an all-party meeting, he said the government would continue holding discussions with every group in an effort to maintain orderly proceedings.
Responding to questions on whether the opposition’s demand for a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision, known as SIR, had been accepted, Rijiju said the agenda would be finalised by the Business Advisory Committee. “The matter will be discussed at the Business Advisory Committee meeting this evening,” he said. He added that the meeting had included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Health Minister and BJP president J P Nadda, as well as leaders from several opposition parties. Rijiju noted that “all parties have given good suggestions and the government has taken them positively”.
He stressed that the House must function without interruptions. “Parliament should not be stalled and it should function smoothly. Government will keep discussing with all parties to ensure smooth functioning of the House,” he told reporters after the two-hour meeting.
Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee said his party was prepared to cooperate if the treasury benches also extended cooperation. He reiterated the opposition’s demand for a discussion on SIR, stating, “Government should allow discussion on issues such as SIR. Forty persons have lost their life conducting SIR exercise.”
DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said all opposition parties were united in calling for a debate on SIR during the session. The Winter session will run until 19 December, with a total of fifteen sittings.
