New Delhi: The first day of the winter session ended over the obit references that were made in both houses of Parliament. Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will reassemble at 11 am on Friday.
Obit reference were read for Mohan Singh, Ram Naresh Khushwaha and Manna Dey in Parliament.
The Congress is hoping to push through some of the pending bills including the Lokpal and the Women's Reservation Bills to garner maximum brownie points before the Lok Sabha elections.
Just before the beginning of the winter session of Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against bringing the Communal Violence Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament.
Terming the timing of the move by the government suspicious, Modi on Thursday tweeted "Political considerations and vote bank politics rather than genuine concerns are guiding it."
Modi urged the PM "to seek wider consultation with the states and various stakeholders of the Bill before proceeding any further on a Bill like this."
He said that the Bill if implemented would fragment the society and increase violence. He also added that the Bill will have results opposite to the stated objectives.
"Communal Violence Bill is in clear violation of India's federal structure. Centre is busy forming laws on matters that are in the State List," Modi tweeted.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has been saying that it is opposed to any move to bring the Communal Violence Bill. However, this Bill is something that the ruling coalition wants to bring especially after the Muzaffarnagar violence.
Expressing his reservations against the Bill, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said that it will make things worse in the society. "Congress wants to attack the federal system through Communal Violence Bill. We should bring a bill that brings harmony. This bill will flare up and make things worse. If I do wrong why should my whole community suffer?," Hussain said.
Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla, however, lambasted the BJP for making an issue of everything. "We have been working on the Communal Violence bill for long. We are waiting for the Cabinet to approve it. Modi wants to twist everything, raises controversy over everything," he said.
Supporting the bill, Janata Dal United (JDU) leader KC Tyagi said that it is not against Hindus and must be brought in the current session of Parliament. "Modi's opposition to the bill is expected as he is singularly responsible for the Godhra riots. Bill must be brought in this session and issues of Jayalalitha must be addressed to look into the interests of states. This is not against Hindus," Tyagi said.
BSP supremo Mayawati stressed on the need for consensus on the issue and said that the interests of states should be protected.
Raising objections over the contentious bill, CPI leader D Raja said, "the bill has some issues, it is said that this bill overrules the state powers. I do not think this bill can be brought in the house."
Modi's letter to the PM comes as the winter session of Parliament is set to begin on Thursday and will possibly be the last session before the General Elections of 2014. The Congress is be hoping to push through some of the pending bills which could be the political game-changers ahead of polls.
Ahead of the start of the session, the PM said that there will be an effort to evolve consensus on all matters of legislative importance. "The session is a short one and the obligation is on all parties to get all possible legislation and pending business done," Manmohan Singh said.
With an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Lokpal and the Women's Reservation Bills are among the other bills which are on top of Congress' agenda to garner maximum brownie points.
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