Centre Mocks Sonia Gandhi's Letter To PM, Says She's 'Not Paying Attention'

The government has issued a pointed response to the nine-point letter from former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi regarding the upcoming special session of parliament. Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi has suggested that Gandhi may not be familiar with parliamentary traditions. He emphasized that the government typically discusses the agenda with the Opposition only after the session has commenced.

Gandhi had recently penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the ongoing political commotion surrounding the potential change of the country's name to Bharat.

Notably, no official agenda had been announced for the special session of parliament, scheduled to begin on September 18. In her letter, Gandhi highlighted nine critical subjects that she insisted should be discussed, including topics like the Centre-state relationship, communalism, the situation in Manipur, and the border conflict with China.

In a swift response, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister defended the government's actions, stating, "The tradition dictates that discussions with political parties and the unveiling of session agendas occur after the session is called. Before the commencement of the session, leaders from all parties convene to deliberate on parliamentary proceedings, issues, and work." This explanation was provided to clarify the parliamentary procedure to Gandhi.

The ongoing suspense surrounding the session's agenda has sparked speculation about the proposed name change of the country to Bharat. The catalyst for this speculation was President Droupadi Murmu's invitation to G20 leaders, in which she was referred to as the "President of Bharat."

Subsequently, a document emerged in which PM Modi was addressed as the "Prime Minister of Bharat."

Meanwhile, a viral post suggested that Pakistan might assert a claim to the name "India" if India formally disassociates from it at the United Nations level.

According to local media reports, nationalists in Pakistan have argued for their right to the name, asserting that it pertains to the Indus region in Pakistan.

However, credible sources have indicated that the special session is likely to focus on the upcoming G-20 summit scheduled for this weekend.