Monsoon Session: Government holds all-party meet, Opposition to raise inflation, Agnipath issues

New Delhi, July 17: The government held an all-party meeting on Sunday, ahead of the Monsoon session of the Parliament to formulate a strategy to maximise the productivity of the House.

During the meet, the opposition demanded that issues of price rise, 'Agnipath' scheme as well as the alleged misuse of investigative agencies be taken up in Parliament and also raised objections to the list of "unparliamentary words" at an all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of the Monsoon Session.

The leaders were unanimous in their demand for the immediate withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces and called for a discussion on important issues like price rise and the status of the economy during the session starting Monday.

Addressing reporters after the all-party meeting ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament which was attended by leaders of various parties, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also said that the government was open for discussion on all issues under rules and procedures of Parliament.

Condemning the opposition for creating a row over unparliamentary words and circulars issued in routine for the past several years, he said such a practice is being carried on since 1954 when the first such list was brought out, and said the opposition was doing so as it was devoid of any issues against the government.

Joshi claimed the government was "doing good work" and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was recognised not just by people within India but also those abroad.

"The opposition is trying to make issues out of non-issues as they do not have anything against the Government," Joshi told reporters after the all-party meet.

"The Opposition is trying to belittle the image of Parliament," he said on the row over unparliamentary words.

"No word has been barred from use in Parliament and the Lok Sabha Secretariat has been bringing out such a list of unparliamentary words since 1954," Joshi also said.

On the opposition criticism over the absence of prime minister from the all-party meeting, the minister said, "The prime minister never attended all-party meetings before 2014 when Congress was in power".

The meeting, called by parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, was attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister Piyush Goyal, AIADMK MP M Thambi Durai, YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Apna Dal MP Anupriya Patel, Congress MPs Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, Rashtriya Lok Dal MP Jayant Chaudhary and DMK MP Tiruchi Siva and others.

The Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 18 and will continue till August 12.

This will also be the last session for Naidu in his current term which is ending on August 10.

The notification for holding the election to the vice president's post has been made and the last date for filing nominations is July 19.

Both the ruling BJP and the opposition are yet to name their candidates.