Opposition leaders are also likely to raise the issue of extended jurisdiction of the Border Security Force in some states, including West Bengal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday skipped the all-party meeting convened by the Union government ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament that will begin on Monday. Most opposition parties are demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row, price rise and unemployment.
Sources aware of the deliberations at the meet said opposition leaders also raised the issue of extended jurisdiction of the Border Security Force in some states, including West Bengal.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi told reporters that PM Modi will not attend the meeting on Sunday. “The tradition of Prime Minister attending the all-party meeting didn’t exist before and was started by PM Modi. He has been attending the all-party meetings, however, this time he won’t be able to,” Joshi said.
Trinamool Congress leaders Sudip Bandopadhyay and Derek O’Brien are learnt to have raised the issue of bringing laws on minimum support price and disinvestment of profitable PSUs.
AAP leader Sanjay Singh said he walked out as he was not allowed to raise issues related to farmers, especially on a law on MSP.
The prominent opposition leaders present at the customary session-eve meet included Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Anand Sharma from the Congress, TR Baalu and Tiruchi Siva from DMK, Sharad Pawar from NCP, Vinayak Raut from Shiv Sena, Ramgopal Yadav from Samajwadi Party, Satish Mishra from BSP, Prasanna Acharya from BJD and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah.
The Winter Session of Parliament will begin on Monday and conclude on December 23.
