Congress seeks LS deputy speaker's post for opposition, brings up NEET issue

The Congress on Sunday, 21 July, sought the Lok Sabha deputy speaker's position for the opposition in the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of Parliament session, and raised the issue of paper leaks, including of the prestigious NEET, sources said.

They said party leader Gaurav Gogoi said the opposition should be allowed to raise issues in Parliament after parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju sought cooperation from every party for the smooth running of the two Houses.

Sources said Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav raised the issue of the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial directive to eateries on the kanwariya route to display the owners' names.

The YSR Congress spoke about the TDP government's alleged targeting of its leaders in Andhra Pradesh and sought the Centre's intervention.

The meeting is being chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh and was convened by Rijiju.

Separately, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that in the all-party meeting, the JD(U) and the YSRCP demanded special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh respectively but "strangely" the TDP kept quiet on the matter.

In a post on X, Ramesh, who was present at the meeting said, “In today's all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter.”

Ramesh's post on social media came when the meeting was still underway.

JD(U), a key ally in the ruling NDA had recently passed a resolution demanding special category status or package for Bihar.

Though leaders from Andhra Pradesh had been demanding special category status for the state, the demand has again gained momentum post Lok Sabha polls.

BJP president J P Nadda, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan were among the the other leaders who attended the meet.

Defence Minister Singh and Rijiju put forth the government's view at the customary meet.

Besides Congress' Ramesh and K. Suresh, Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM, RJD's Abhay Kushwaha, JD(U) Sanjay Jha, AAP's Sanjay Singh, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav and NCP's Praful Patel were also present at the customary meet.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Tuesday during the session beginning Monday.

A united opposition is set to corner the NDA government on issues ranging from the NEET paper leak case to railway safety.

The session begins on Monday and will have 19 sittings till 12 August when the government is expected to present six bills, including the one to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act, and also get Parliament's nod for the budget of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under central rule.

Sitharaman will also table the Economic Survey in Parliament on Monday.