NEW DELHI: The second part of the Budget session of Parliament is all set to resume on Monday with the Opposition readying its arsenal to corner the BJP-led government on a number of issues, including fresh Manipur violence, duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers and India’s handling of the Trump administration in the U.S.
Indications are that stormy proceedings inside the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha may well be on the cards. Key issues such as US President Donald Trump’s threat of reciprocal tariffs, and the political controversy over the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies are also expected to resonate in Parliament.
From the government’s side, the focus will remain on getting Parliament’s nod for demands for grants, completion of the budgetary process and passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill. The government will also seek approval for the Manipur Budget.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to move a statutory resolution seeking the approval of the Parliament for the proclamation of President’s Rule in the state, which has witnessed ethnic violence for months.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also table the Budget for Manipur. The state has been under the President’s rule since the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh in February.
The ECI had dismissed the TMC’s claim that voter lists were manipulated to allow voters to cast their votes in West – an allegation which was levelled by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in the House.
The poll body clarified that while some voters may have identical EPIC numbers, their demographic details, Assembly constituency, and polling booth information are distinct.
The government is prioritising the early passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill. Parliament Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said last week that the government eyes early passage of the Bill as it will solve several issues of the Muslim community. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) submitted the report on the Bill in the Lok Sabha in the first part of the session amid protests by the Opposition. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the opposition INDIA bloc leaders would hold “extensive consultation” to jointly oppose the Waqf bill. He also reiterated the Congress’s concerns over alleged election irregularities, alleging that elections are “no longer free and fair” and are being “masterminded and orchestrated.” The opposition said it is set to corner the government over the issue of duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. The Trinamool Congress has taken the lead in flagging the issue, following which the Election Commission declared that it would take corrective measures within the next three months.
The Election Commission had rejected the Trinamool Congress claim that the voter lists were manipulated to allow voters from other states to exercise their franchise in West Bengal. The poll body also made it clear that while the EPIC numbers of some voters “may be identical”, other details such as demographic information, Assembly constituency and polling booth are different.
Trinamool Congress leaders are meeting the Election Commission on Monday and have also rallied other opposition parties, including
the Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena-UBT, to raise the issue in both Houses of Parliament during the second part of the Budget session.