All-party-meeting underway in parliament ahead of budget session

NEW DELHI: An all-party meeting is currently underway at Parliament ahead of the budget session commencement. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is hosting the meeting, with attendance from various political leaders. Notable attendees include Tiruchi Shiva, AIUML leader E.T. Mohammad Basheer, Jana Sena Party leader Bala Krishna, BJD leader Sasmit Patra, JDU leader Sanjay Jha, Union Ministers Ramdas Athawale, Praful Patel, Chirag Paswan, and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, and BJP President JP Nadda are also present.

However, leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are absent as they are in West Bengal observing Shahidi Divas (Martyrdom Day), a significant event for the state. Party sources clarified that this is not a boycott but a reflection of the day's importance. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is in Kolkata, attending the observance on the invitation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar commented on the meeting, stating, "This meeting is a formality as the Parliament session starts tomorrow. However, it is our responsibility to raise public issues, and we will definitely do that. The biggest issue is NEET; it needs to be cancelled."

CPI-M MP John Brittas said that the parties are insisting that issues affecting the people should be brought to the house including Manipur, situation in Jammu and Kashmir, "communal polarisation" in UP, exam frauds and umeployment.

"Parliament should function properly and there should be debate and discussion, which was not happening from the past 10 years...We want the government to understand the ground reality...The unemployment rate is at its peak, and people are starving. There has been an assault on the power of the states," Brittas said. The meeting marks a crucial gathering of political leaders as they prepare for the upcoming budget session.