Five opposition parties, including Congress, skip PMO briefing on COVID
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TMC, NCP break ranks after govt. allows discussion in Rajya Sabha
The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, RJD, CPI and CPI(M) skipped the briefing for floor leaders of Parliament by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, organised by the Prime Minister’s Office, on the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolving situation.
The Opposition leaders had met earlier on Tuesday morning to discuss the issue in Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge’s office in Parliament. The attendees included NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, TMC’s Derek O’ Brien, SP’s Ramgopal Yadav, RJD leader Manoj K. Jha and CPI leader Binoy Viswam among others.
The meeting was to primarily organise a coordinated parliamentary strategy. Many of the members argued that any discussion on COVID must be on the floor of the House in presence of all members. Selective briefing for just the floor leaders when Parliament was in session is not acceptable.
Change stance
Within hours of the meeting, the government accepted the Opposition’s position and allowed the debate on COVID in Rajya Sabha. Following the discussion in Rajya Sabha, many parties changed their stance — including TMC, NCP and SP. CPI(M) Parliamentary Party leader Elamaram Kareem had written to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi opposing the selective briefing on Monday.
Though the AAP did not attend the Opposition meeting, it also decided to boycott the Health Secretary’s briefing. In a tweet, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP said the government needs to settle the issues raised by the farmers. He said that when the whole country was suffering from COVID, the BJP was busy organising rallies. And it is now only doing a lip service by organising this select briefing.
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