INDIA bloc asks govt to spell out Parliament session's agenda

Opposition parties of the INDIA alliance on Tuesday demanded that the government maintain transparency and not keep the country in the dark on the agenda of the special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, even as they called for early passage of the women's reservation bill.Sources said former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for early passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha during the upcoming session as the same has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha. At a meeting, the opposition parties decided to move together in the upcoming session and also raise the Adani issue. They also decided to hold the first INDIA parties' joint public rally in Madhya Pradesh and the next meeting in Bhopal.

The leaders of several opposition parties, who attended the dinner meeting hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here, also discussed the strategy to be adopted during the upcoming session.After the meeting Congress’s deputy leader of the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, attacked the government. “All leaders were of the opinion that why was this session called. No clarification has come from the government. The country doesn’t know what is the specialty of this special session. The BJP must tell the nation what the special agenda is,” he said.
Differences cropped up over the women reservation bill, which some speculate could come up in the special session. “The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Left and a few other parties announced they will wholeheartedly support the bill if it comes. The Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (United), however, stuck to their demand for a quota within quota,” said a second leader present in the meeting.