Outgoing Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in a 40-minute-long meeting with the Congress Parliamentary Party on Tuesday told the party’s MPs that they should not let the Treasury Benches dominate the debate on national security.
“On the pretext of national security, the BJP government is trying to bring in many legislations through the backdoor. Both Rahul ji and Sonia ji told us to watch out for such Bills and to maintain an aggressive stance on the issue,” a Congress MP said. The party’s stand on other legislations and policy issues like the triple talaq Bill were also discussed.
Sources said the meeting was called after confusion prevailed in the Lok Sabha with key UPA ally DMK and the Congress raising two different issues in the House on Monday. The Congress Parliamentary Party is keen on a better floor strategy and a more robust communication mechanism with its allies.
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On Monday, while Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue of horse-trading in Karnataka by accusing the BJP of attempting to destabilise the JD(S)–Congress government in the State, the DMK simultaneously raised the issue of the NEET legislation. Amidst an uproar, the House was adjourned.
“Both the issues did not get due space. So it was felt that we need better floor co-ordination and better communication with our allies,” a Congress MP said.
It was also decided that the Congress Parliamentary Party will now meet every morning. “Out of the 52 MPs more than 30 are first-timers so they need handholding, which is why it has been decided that the meeting will be held every day now,” another Congress MP said.
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The MPs were told not let Ministers get away with giving unrelated answers to questions. On Monday evening, the Congress had held a workshop for first-time MPs to brief them on Parliamentary procedure.