Joint opposition to meet on July 16-17 to devise strategy on working of Parliament

New Delhi, July 3: The principal opposition party Congress is planning to hold a meeting on July 16 and 17 with other opposition political parties to devise a separate strategy on working of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Monsoon session is scheduled for July 20 to August 18, 2018. But it appears that the Congress would not allow Parliament to function smoothly. If the BJP has its strategy for Parliament then the Congress too has its strategy to counter the government plans.

Sources said that the meeting with other opposition parties will discuss larger session strategy. The meeting will also discuss issues like agrarian distress in the country, state of the economy of the nation, dismal women security conditions and many other issues plaguing the country.

Besides these issues, the matter of appointment of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha is a big issue that will come up before. The Congress sources said that the government was unlikely to look for consensus on the issue of appointment of deputy chairman of the upper house as there has been no dialogue with anyone in this regard so far.

However, the Congress wants to take rest of the opposition on board however no meeting of the opposition parties in this regard has taken place till date.

The Congress sources said, "We want Parliament to function. We are appealing to the government to give up its confrontational attitude and allow Parliament to function in the national interest." The Congress further said that the government should not escape responsibility, accountability and legislative scrutiny.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma accused the government for not allowing Parliament to function. The government does not have anything to defend itself, said the sources. With the Lok Sabha elections coming closure, none of them want to miss any chance to score a point on each on them.