Govt Holds All-Party Meeting Ahead of Monsoon Session; NEET, Manipur Issues Raised

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 22nd July. The government convened an all-party meeting on Sunday at the Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe, in preparation for the Monsoon Session of Parliament, scheduled to begin on July 22 and conclude on August 12. The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget on July 23.

Notable attendees at the meeting included Tiruchi Shiva, AIUML leader E.T. Mohammad Basheer, Jana Sena Party leader Bala Krishna, BJD leader Sasmit Patra, JDU leader Sanjay Jha, Union Ministers Ramdas Athawale, Praful Patel, Chirag Paswan, and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Also present were Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and BJP President JP Nadda.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi raised concerns about NEET and alleged misuse of central agencies like the ED and CBI. The Congress party has also sought the post of Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker for the opposition, according to sources.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav brought up the issue of nameplates on food shops along the Kanwar route in Uttar Pradesh.

Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari stated, “Traditionally, an all-party meeting is held to discuss issues related to the House’s proceedings. We plan to address topics such as inflation, unemployment, paper leaks, security issues with China, removal of statues in Parliament, and concerns about farmers, laborers, Manipur, and rail accidents. We also aim to discuss the NEET issue thoroughly.”

Leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were notably absent from the meeting as they were in West Bengal observing Martyrs’ Day. This day commemorates the 13 Congress supporters killed in 1993 when the Kolkata Police opened fire during a march to the state secretariat, Writers’ Buildings, while the CPI(M)-led Left Front was in power. Mamata Banerjee, then the state Youth Congress chief, has continued to mark the day annually with a rally since founding the Trinamool Congress in 1998.

This Monsoon Session is the first budget session following the 18th Lok Sabha’s formation. The BJP and its allies retained their position in the treasury benches during the general elections, making this the first budget of their third term. The presentation of the Union Budget on July 23 will be followed by discussions in both Houses.

In the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, the opposition INDIA bloc raised several issues, including NEET, the situation in Manipur, and rising prices, leading to disruptions and adjournments. Protests were also seen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, with opposition MPs shouting slogans and staging a walkout in both Houses.