The Hindu : National : CPI(M) to oppose ‘farcical’ continuation of session

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CPI(M) to oppose ‘farcical’ continuation of session

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday said the manner in which the Manmohan Singh government was treating Parliament was “shocking” and decided to oppose another “farcical continuation” of the July 21-22 session after adjourning the current meet on Friday.

In a statement, the party Polit Bureau demanded that the United Progressive Alliance government should call a full-fledged winter session in December. The party said first the UPA government refused to convene the monsoon session.

It then announced that a “continued session” of the July 21-22 special trust vote session would be held from October 17 to November 21. Now, barely a week after the convening of Parliament, it was being adjourned again on Friday.

“This exposes the narrow partisan interests, which dictated the indefinite postponement of the monsoon session and the doing away of the winter session. This year Parliament has been in session for less than 40 days. This gross contempt for Parliament is compounded by the refusal of the Prime Minister to honour his own commitment to seek parliamentary approval for the nuclear deal after the IAEA and NSG stages were completed,” the Polit Bureau noted. It said the current session would have to be adjourned sine die so that the winter session could be convened in December.

The presiding officers had the duty to see that this ‘travesty’ of parliamentary democracy was not perpetuated, the Polit Bureau said, adding that in case the government did not convene a fresh session of Parliament, the CPI (M) would consult like-minded opposition parties to decide the course of action.

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