Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking cooperation on the Delimitation Amendment Bill and urging the principal Opposition party to play a constructive role in the passage of important legislation.
Responding to Kharge’s October 16 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rijiju said the government had repeatedly sought the Congress’s support for the proposed legislation but had not received dates for discussions.
“However, after repeated requests, the Congress Party didn’t give dates for discussion, after which the government’s outreach had extended to other political parties,” he said. In his letter, the Union minister said the government had held consultations with representatives of several political parties after its efforts to engage the Congress did not result in scheduled discussions. “Consultations were held with representatives of parties including the DMK, SP, YSRCP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and BJD with a view to facilitating dialogue and building a broader consensus in support of the proposed legislation,” Rijiju said. I also hope that the Congress Party will play a constructive role and will not obstruct important future legislation,” he said.
“The government has consistently sought the Opposition’s support and cooperation for the consideration and passage of the Delimitation Amendment Bill. The government has reached out to the Congress Party, being the principal Opposition party, on several occasions,” Rijiju wrote. “We value the participation of all political parties in deliberations and discussions on all matters of national importance.
The letter was sent in response to Kharge’s request to Prime Minister Modi for an all-party meeting before the Delimitation Constitutional Amendment Bill was taken up for consideration in Parliament.
