Must move forward on Land Bill: PM Modi ahead of Monsoon Session

Says running both Houses of Parliament shared responsibility of all parties

With the Monsoon Session beginning tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that running both the Houses of Parliament is a shared responsibility of all parties, even as he exhorted them to move forward on the contentious Land Bill. 

At a meeting with leaders of all political parties here, he asked them to collectively move forward on issues discussed in the last session while keeping the country's interest in mind. 

With important legislations like the Land bill, the GST bill and the real estate bill pending before Parliament, the government is seeking the support of all parties in their early passage. 

 

The Monsoon Session is expected to be a stormy affair with Congress and other parties giving indications to that effect. Congress and other opposition parties will raise the demand for removal of Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the wake of their alleged involvement in Lalitgate and the Vyapam scam. 

"Of course, it is the responsibility of the government to run the House and we have to take the initiative for it, but this responsibility has to be shared by all. 

"It is time to move forward. All of us have to collectively move forward. The country's interest is paramount. Certain issues discussed in the last session need to be taken forward," the Prime Minister said at the meeting.

The all-party meet was attended by Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, Janata Dal-United's Sharad Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party's Satish Mishra and CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury among others.

On Sunday, top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders met at the Prime Minister's official 7, Race Course Road (RCR) residence here to discuss the party's strategy ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu, and BJP president Amit Shah were among those who participated in the meeting.

The party leadership reportedly discussed the strategy for the session as opposition parties have closed their ranks against the government on various issues, including Vyapam scam, Lalit Modi controversy and the Socio Economic and Caste Census.

While the BJP-led NDA commands a sizeable majority in the Lok Sabha, it lacks numbers in the Rajya Sabha where opposition holds the key to passage of important legislations, including Goods and Services Tax and Land bill.