With the coronavirus pandemic raging in India and the country recording more than four million cases, these are anything but easy times. The national capital saw 4,000 additional cases in the last 24 hours and experts say that Delhi is witnessing a second surge in the number of infections.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on September 14 and many parliamentarians have expressed reservations about travelling to Delhi at this time. Several MPs have written to both Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker to convey their unavailability.
At least six MPs from Trinamool Congress (TMC) have said that they would not be able to attend the upcoming session. TMC party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, Rajya Sabha deputy floor leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Subrata Bakshi, Sisir Adhikari, Manas Bhunia and Choudhury Mohan Jatua are some of those MPs who have said that they fall in the vulnerable 60-plus age category.
Sudeep Bandopadhyay confirmed to CNN-News18 about his unavailability, saying he’s concerned about his health as he is over 65 years in age.
A letter written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu by Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, which has been accessed by CNN-News18, reads, “I am 71 years old and presently confined at home in Kolkata amidst prevailing Covid19 pandemic situation. In view of point no.7 under sub-heading-‘PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE PERSONS’ of the Guidelines for Phased Reopening (Unlock 4) dated 29 August 2020, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, I intend to continue staying at home in Kolkata and as such I shall not be able to attend the forthcoming Rajya Sabha Session commencing from 14th September to 1st October 2020 (both day inclusive) I shall be deeply obliged if you kindly grant me leave of absence for the ENTIRE 252 SESSION OF THE RAJYA SABHA.”
TMC, with a strength of 35 MPs in both the Houses, has stayed away from Parliamentary Standing Committee meetings too for the last couple of months. since meetings resumed. Barring Mahua Moitra, none of the party’s MPs has attended Standing Committee meetings nor has anybody travelled out of their home state.
87-year-old HD Deve Gowda, who was recently elected to the Upper House, has also communicated his unavailability for the Monsoon Session. The former Prime Minister of India is yet to take oath.
Shibu Soren, who is recovering from Covid-19 will not be coming to Parliament, too, JMM sources said.
Sources say that several parties like DMK are also contemplating on missing Parliament session since there has been a consistent rise in cases through the state in the last few months and Tamil Nadu has been among the top three contributors to the number of positive cases in the country. DMK MPs, too, have opted out of Parliamentary Committee meetings…In fact, Tiruchi Siva and others from the party who recently got elected to Rajya Sabha are yet to take the oath.
Parliament shut in the midst of the pandemic on March 23 when it was declared sine die in the middle of the Budget Session as Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a nationwide lockdown from March 24 in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
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