Political storms may upset monsoon session

Rajnath says no question of Swaraj, Raje and Irani quitting

Parliament will meet for three weeks from July 21 to August 13 for its monsoon session, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs recommended on Wednesday.

While the government hopes to push forward its reform agenda, the Congress has threatened a washout of the session on the Lalit Modi issue. Key reform bills, including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) constitutional amendment and the contentious land Bill, need parliamentary approval during the monsoon session. Both the bills are currently with the parliamentary committees, and reports are to be submitted in the first week of the forthcoming session.

The Congress has said it will disrupt the Houses to demand resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over the Lalit Modi issue and Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani over her alleged false affidavit on her educational qualifications.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government rejects the Congress demand for resignations of its ministers. "Our ministers do not have to resign. This is not their (Congress') government. This is NDA government," the minister said.

The monsoon session was tentatively scheduled to start on July 20, but postponed by a day on account of festival of Eid that is likely to be celebrated on July 18 or 19.

Other key Bills pending before Parliament are the amendments to the Lokpal and Lok Ayukta Act, the Railways (Amendment) Bill, the Waterways Bill, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill and Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill.

The Congress and Left parties have persisted with their demand that the Swaraj and Raje should quit. But the two parties have found no support from regional outfits like the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party. But BJP MP R K Singh, a former union home secretary, on Tuesday said “any help to a fugitive is legally and morally wrong". He refused to comment or elaborate on his comments on Wednesday.

The Congress' National Students Union of India held a protest outside Shastri Bhavan seeking "immediate resignation" of Irani. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the case of Irani was that of a “typographical error” in her affidavit to the Election Commission and not of submitting a fake degree.