Congress urges President Kovind to ask Centre to immediately convene Winter Session

The Congress on Friday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to ask the BJP-led NDA government to immediately convene the Winter Session of Parliament.

The Congress party also accused the government of “murdering” the parliamentary traditions.

The government is running away from discussion on key issues in Parliament as it feared that it might have an adverse effect on the Gujarat elections scheduled on December 9 and 14, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said.

While speaking to the reporters, he said “The president, who is head of the Parliament, should take congnisance why the Winter Session is not being convened and ask the government to immediately convene it.”

Earlier dates were cited by Shukla when the Parliament session was convened before to Gujarat Assembly polls.

Shukla wondered why the session was not being convened.

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“Is the government fearing that when issues are raised in Parliament, it may have an adverse effect on Gujarat polls...Why is it avoiding the session and what is the reason that the government is fearing convening it. Parliamentary traditions should not be murdered like this,” he said.

The government feared facing Parliament and that was why ministers wanted to run away and campaign in Gujarat instead, the Congress leader said.

Earlier in the day, Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal said that the government is not running away from the Parliament and will soon take a decision on dates for the winter session.

Responding to a question on delay in holding the winter session of Parliament, Goyal said many MPs had requested that they want to focus on the upcoming Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

(With PTI inputs)

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