INDIA Bloc To Raise All Issues Together In Budget Session: Pramod Tiwari

The opposition INDIA Bloc will raise all issues together in the Budget session of Parliament, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said on Thursday.

Emerging from the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the session, Tiwari also slammed the alleged "politicisation of Kumbh", saying VIP movements during Maha Kumbh were creating difficulties for the common man. He said his party will flag the issue of the religious congregation becoming a gathering of VIPs linked with the ruling BJP.

The issue of rising unemployment and "plight" of farmers will also be raised during the session, he said. The INDIA bloc, he asserted, will raise all issues together in the session to highlight the problems of common people. The government on Thursday convened a meeting of floor leaders of all political parties ahead of the Budget session of Parliament.

The session commences on Friday with the address of the president to the joint sitting of the two Houses. The Union Budget will be presented on February 1. The first leg of the session will conclude on February 13 and the second leg will continue from March 10. The session will conclude on April 4. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is chairing the customary meet, which is convened to inform political parties about the government's legislative agenda and to seek their inputs on issues they wold like to raise during the session.

Several leaders, including BJP president and Union minister J P Nadda, Gaurav Gogoi and Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, T R Baalu of the DMK, Sudip Bandhyopadhyay and Derek O' Brien of the TMC are attending the meeting. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was also present.