From Citizenship Bill to Oppn offensive on economic slowdown -- Winter session expected to see much heat

Parliament's Winter Session starting tomorrow is expected to witness much heat as the Opposition looks to corner the Union government over issues like economic slowdown and situation in Kashmir while the Modi dispensation seeks to push through the contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill, a key part of the BJP's ideological agenda.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his customary remarks at a session eve all-party meeting held on Sunday asserted that the government is ready to discuss every issue and exhorted everyone to make the Winter session as productive as the last one, when Parliament gave its nod to the bifurcation of the then state of Jammu and Kashmir and nullifying Article 370, besides several other important bills.

Opposition leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, raised the continuing "illegal" detention of mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir like Farooq Abdullah, who is also a Lok Sabha member, and said they will take up issues like economic slowdown and unemployment in the session, which ends on December 13.

After the BJP-led NDA left the opposition stunned in the last session by winning over independent regional parties, especially in Rajya Sabha where treasury benches lacked majority, and wooing a number of rival leaders to get a host of bills passed, the Congress-led grouping has some reasons to feel emboldened over recent political developments,
After the meeting, Modi had tweeted, "We look forward to a productive Parliament session, where people-centric and development oriented issues would be discussed."