NEW DELHI: The government called an all-party meeting to brief lawmakers on the West Asia crisis on Wednesday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made statements in both houses on the crisis. Leader of the Opposition Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge objected to the decision and demanded that the issue be discussed in the House instead of media briefing.
According to officials, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the all-party meeting, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to assess the situation to party leaders. The meeting is scheduled to be held inside the Parliament building at 5 p.m., according to the office of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
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“Rajya Sabha protocol requires that MPs can seek clarifications from the Prime Minister after he makes a statement. We were not allowed to do that. Now, instead of having a debate in the House, the government wants to hold an all-party meeting. This government does not give any importance to protocols, precedents and decorum of the House,” Karg told HT.
The Trinamool Congress, which walked out of the Upper House during the Prime Minister’s statement, criticized the move. TMC MP Sagarika Ghose tweeted, “When opposition voice is not allowed in Parliament, AITCofficial has walked out of Rajya Sabha. Instead of allowing a discussion on West Asia to take place on the floor of the House while Parliament is in session, why is the Modi govt calling an all-party meeting in the chamber? For how long will this govt avoid scrutiny?”
