NEW DELHI, (IANS): The second leg of
the Budget session of Parliament is set to resume on Monday and is expected to
be a stormy one with both the Opposition and Government ready to outdo each
other on multiple issues.
While the Opposition will seek
to take on the Centre over the issue of Duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card
(EPIC) numbers, delimitation row and reciprocal tariffs threat by the United
States, the govt is expected to push through the contentious Waqf bill through
the Parliament and would be ready to walk an extra mile if needed, said
sources.
TMC and DMK are expected to
lead the Opposition’s attack on the Centre as the respective parties have
raised strong reservations against EPIC and alleged imposition of Hindi
language on Southern states.
The controversy over EPIC broke
out after Trinamool Congress leaders claimed that the voter lists were
manipulated in Bengal, to allow people from other states to cast ballots in the
TMC-ruled state.
The poll panel was quick to
rubbish the charges and went on to clarify that the EPIC numbers of some voters
look identical in some cases, but other details show striking dissimilarities
pertaining to constituency, polling booths, and demographic information.
Opposition parties refused to
buy the EC’s arguments on EPIC numbers and are now set to create a fresh furore
in the House over it. Congress and TMC both are expected to raise the issue
collectively in the House.
Another issue that is likely to
reverberate strongly in the House – includes delimitation and the
three-language policy.
The DMK MPs are likely to
escalate their opposition on multiple matters including delimitation and
three-language policy. While Congress has remained largely neutral on the
issue, the DMK is likely to up the ante and corner the dispensation, claiming
that it was the Centre’s ‘cruel’ attempt to impose Hindi on the state.
In a meeting of MPs led by DMK
chief MK Stalin on Sunday, the party also passed a resolution against the
delimitation exercise, which it said should be at the centre of debate in the
Parliament, starting on Monday.
However, for the government,
the passage of the Waqf bill remains its top priority.
The concern was echoed by
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who recently said that the bill
will address many problems of the community and make their lives easier. The
JPC report on the Waqf Bill was submitted in the first half of the Budget
Session, amid vociferous protests by the Opposition.
The first part of the Budget
session of Parliament took place from January 31 to February 13. The second leg
of the Budget session will commence on Monday (March 10) and conclude on April
4.
