New Delhi [India], July 19 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ghulam Ali Khatana on Sunday emphasised the importance of cooperation between the ruling party and the opposition in a democracy. He said that while the opposition has the right to present its views, it should also listen to the government's perspective.
Speaking to ANI, Khatana said it is a parliamentary tradition for leaders and members of different parties to sit together before the beginning of a session and discuss issues to ensure the smooth functioning of the House.
"In a democracy, the opposition plays a significant role. However, while they should present their own views, they must also listen to the ruling party. It is a tradition for members of all parties to sit together before the session begins", he said.
Earlier today, the Centre held an all-party meeting, a day ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, to seek cooperation from political parties for the smooth functioning of both Houses and to discuss the government's legislative agenda.
Opposition parties staged a symbolic walkout from the all-party meeting convened by the Centre, protesting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's invitation to the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) to participate in the meeting. They later returned to take part in the discussions after a few minutes.
Speaking on the opposition walk-out, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the walkout staged by the opposition leaders should not be seen as a boycott, as it was symbolic in nature.
"It should not be viewed as a boycott of the entire day's proceedings, it was symbolic," he told reporters after the meeting, which saw a chaotic turn soon after commencing as opposition leaders walked out over the recent political shifts involving 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs and Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), along with six UBT Sena MPs, shifting to the Shiv Sena.
This comes ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which is set to begin on July 20 and is scheduled to end on August 13. The mergers have ignited speculation around the Centre bringing back the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposes an increase in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha up to 850 and implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in legislatures.
The NDA is likely to move closer to the two-thirds majority mark of 360 in the House of 540 members, with three seats currently vacant.