Winter Session, Day 3: Amid Opposition protest, PM Narendra Modi holds strategy meet with top ministers

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with top Ministers on Wednesday to discuss strategy for the ongoing winter session of Parliament amid strong protest by the Opposition parties over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs.

The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Road Transport, and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.

On Tuesday too, PM Modi held a meeting with senior ministers to discuss the strategy. Today’s meeting was held at a time when opposition leaders are protesting demanding revocation of suspension of 12 Opposition MPs of Rajya Sabha.

On Wednesday, the Opposition parties put up a united front and staged a joint protest in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex against the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi joined the protest and so did the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had so far been staying away from opposition meets. Holding placards, the protesting MPs raised slogans against the government and demanded that the suspension of the Rajya Sabha members be revoked.

Leaders of several parties, including the Congress, TMC, SP, DMK, Shiv Sena, TRS, NCP, CPI(M), CPI, RJD, IUML, NC, LJD, RSP and Kerala Congress took part in the protest.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the suspension of the MPs was undemocratic and demanded that it be revoked. TMC's Saugata Roy said the government has lowered the dignity of Parliament. "Unless it withdraws the suspension, our protests will continue," he added.

The 12 suspended MPs will sit-in protest in front of the Gandhi statue for the entire day against their suspension from the Upper House of Parliament. The opposition leaders said they would decide their future course of action on the issue jointly in a meeting, which was held in Kharge's chamber.

The opposition MPs boycotted Tuesday's proceedings in the Rajya Sabha after staging a walkout. Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha also staged a walkout but later joined the proceedings. 

The winter session of the Parliament commenced on Monday. On the first day of the session, both the Houses of Parliament passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill 2021. However, the Opposition parties created a ruckus alleging that the government passed the Bill without having a discussion on the floor.

The second day of the session also remained a jerk as the Opposition leaders held protests and walkouts over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs. The winter session is likely to conclude on December 23.