The Opposition has said it is no wiser about the five-day surprise session of Parliament beginning on Monday despite the all-party meeting held by the government on Sunday.
The session will begin at the old Parliament House but will shift to the new building on Tuesday, coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi.
The session’s beginning also coincides with the 74th anniversary of the discussion in the Constituent Assembly on Article 1 of the Constitution, which states that “India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states”.
Given that the President and the Prime Minister have used “Bharat” in English instead of “India” in an official invitation and a place card, respectively, over the past fortnight, speculation is rife that the government might bring in an amendment on the name.
The shift to the new premises was formally announced by parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday evening after the all-party meeting where, Opposition leaders said, the government did not respond to their queries.
Opposition parties have been particularly peeved that the full agenda of the session has still not been disclosed to them. The bulletin of September 13 said “statement not to be taken as exhaustive”, suggesting that unlisted business can be sprung.
Although Joshi had billed the session — announced on August 31 — a “special session”, it has also been numbered in both Houses as regular sessions are. In June 2017, when the government had called a special session of Parliament to roll out the GST regime, it was not numbered.
According to the programme disclosed till now, Monday’s session in both Houses will be dedicated to the “Parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha — Achievements, experiences, memories and learnings”.
After Tuesday’s shift to the new building, which will be preceded by a function at Central Hall on the old premises, the following three days will be for government business including the contentious “Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023”.
