Masarat Alam release: Both Houses may get rocked on Monday

Both Houses will witness stormy scenes over the release of Hurriyat hardliner Masarat Alam when Parliament reconvenes on Monday after a four-day Holi break. Congress has reached out to all opposition parties to bring them together on the issue. Business in Rajya Sabha is likely to be hit more, since the numbers there are stacked against the government.

Alam, who had organised anti-India protests in the Valley in 2010 that led to the death of 112 people, was freed from Baramulla jail on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have called a meeting of all opposition parties in Parliament on Monday morning to discuss the land Bill and the three other bills that the government could not withdraw in the Rajya Sabha after the House refused leave to do so. The three Bills are the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2014, the Coal Mines (Special Provision) Bill, 2014 and The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014.

On all three, the government had got ordinances and therefore the Bills need to be passed before Parliament has met for six weeks. The Budget Session goes into recess from March 20, so all the ordinances — including the one on land acquisition — will lapse unless they are legislated before that.

On the issue of Alam’s release, the opposition stance was consolidated during the course of Sunday. Phones were worked, principally at the behest of the Congress. Till Sunday evening, the SP, BSP, Left, JD(U), NC and TMC were said to be on board with the Congress.

Sources say both Houses are likely to be disrupted and unless the government reaches some understanding in the morning meeting with the opposition, Rajya Sabha may not be able to transact much business.

“The matter of Alam’s release is one that impinges on national security. BJP cannot shirk accountability saying that it was not consulted. The PM should come and tell the House what is happening and why his government, which promised to act tough with Pakistan, is looking so helpless,” said an opposition MP.

Source:: Indian Express