Adani bribegate, waqf bill set to rock Parliament winter session starting today
The winter session of Parliament is all set to begin today, with legislators expected to discuss several bills, including the Waqf Act (Amendment) Bill.
The opposition is likely to raise issues such as the violence in Manipur, air pollution in North India, and bribery allegations against the Adani Group.
The winter session will run until December 20, with several bills slated for introduction, debate, and passage. These include the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, the Bills of Lading Bill, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, the Railways (Amendment) Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, and the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill.
Ahead of the session, the government on Sunday held an all-party meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leading the governing party and appealed to all parties to cooperate in ensuring the smooth functioning of Parliament.
On the Opposition’s demand to take up the bribery allegations against the Adani group for discussion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the respective business advisory committees of both Houses will decide on the agenda for the session, news agency PTI reported.
Last week, US prosecutors indicted Gautam Adani and seven others for alleged involvement in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure power-supply contracts. The Adani Group has denied the charges, calling them baseless.
Meanwhile, the MPs of INDIA bloc parties will convene a meeting at 10 am at the Parliament House to finalise the opposition’s strategy before the commencement of the session, news agency ANI reported.
The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to decide on the matters that the INDIA bloc will take during the Parliament session.