Congress says Parliament Winter Session to be 'shortest ever' as all-party meet ends—which demands did it raise?

The Indian National Congress (INC) on Sunday said the upcoming Parliament Winter Session is likely to be “shortest-ever” as the all-party meet concludes. MP Gaurav Gogoi stated it will be 19-days long, of which discussions will take place only for 15 days and alleged that the government wants to derail it.

It sought discussion on national security, air pollution, ensuring purity of voter list, farmers' issues and foreign policy, according to PTI. Gogoi asserted the opposition is standing together, and does not want Parliament to be used only to sing “paeans of just one person”.

Which five demands did the Congress raise in all-party meet?

1. Gogoi stated that his party called for a discussion on the nation’s security situation, particularly after the Delhi blast.

2. He mentioned, “The second is the security of democracy. The EC before, during and after elections is acting in a biased manner. There should be a discussion on the purity of the voter list.”

3. He added that the Congress also pressed for a discussion on air pollution.

4. "Fourth is economic security. Farmers are not getting the right prices….also security against natural disasters,” Gogoi said.

5. He further said, “We also raised the issue of foreign policy. India is formulating its foreign policy on the basis of other countries. Someone does not like us buying oil from Russia. Another country is investing in its defence and we are not ready."

Meanwhile, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday urged all political parties to uphold decorum and refrain from disruptions in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, which begins tomorrow. He expressed hope that lawmakers will "work with a cool head" to facilitate smooth proceedings as temperatures gradually fall with the arrival of winter, a report by ANI noted.

“Since it's the winter session, we hope everyone works with a cool head and avoids heated debates. There will be a debate in Parliament, and I hope there will be no disruptions. If we work with a cool head, it'll be beneficial for the country, and the Parliament session will run smoothly,” Rijiju stated.

He further stated that in the all-party meeting, the government’s main emphasis will be on hearing the concerns of the opposition.

"We'll sit with all the leaders of all the parties and listen to them. We won't be saying much on behalf of the government today. We'll just listen to the opposition parties," he added.

Union Minister and Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel stated that the government has listed fourteen bills for the Winter Session, describing all of them as important and necessary, PTI reported. She added that during the 15-day session, efforts would be made to hold comprehensive discussions on all the bills and that every party would have the opportunity to present its views.