In a bid to break the parliamentary logjam, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel visited the homes of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP V. Maitreyan and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Y.S. Chowdary, but with little impact.
“Azad ji has assured me of cooperation to ensure smooth functioning of the Rajya Sabha. Let’s see what happens,” Mr. Goel said.
The AIADMK, along with the TDP, has been obstructing any transaction of business in the Rajya Sabha.
Mr. Goel, in at attempt to assuage the AIADMK, visited the house of Mr. Maitreyan instead of the party’s floor leader, A. Navaneethakrishnan.
Mr. Maitreyan was replaced by Mr. Navaneethakrishnan as floor leader in 2014. When asked on why he chose to visit the former, Mr. Goel refused to comment.
‘Agitation will continue’
“Mr. Vijay Goel came to my house to have a cup of coffee. We generally discussed the current political scene in Tamil Nadu. Beyond that, there was no specific mention of the Cauvery Management Board for which we have been agitating for the past three weeks. Our agitation will continue till we achieve our goal,” Mr. Maitreyan told The Hindu .
Mr. Goel had, in fact, spoken to Mr. Navaneethakrishnan on Thursday on the floor of the House, telling him that he would be visiting his residence. “Meeting any of us is pointless till the government actually acts on our demand,” Mr. Navaneethakrishnan had said.
Reasserting the government’s readiness to face the no-confidence motion, Mr. Goel vehemently denied the Opposition’s allegation that the BJP had been planting “friendly parties” in the Lok Sabha to stall the debate.
“Such allegations are entirely baseless. The truth is that the [mood ofhe ] 2019 general elections have now entered Parliament, which is not a good sign,” he said.
Important legislation
Mr. Goel said he would be visiting other Opposition leaders next week. Asked if the House would be adjourned sine die ahead of its schedule on April 6, he said, “We are here to run the House and not abruptly end it. There are many pieces of important legislation that need to be passed. In the Rajya Sabha alone, there are at least 10 Bills pending,” he said.
In the Lok Sabha, nearly a dozen bills are pending, including the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018; the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018; and the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
