Govt least bothered about CAA-NRC protests, says Congress as PM says open for discussion on all issues in Parliament

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said the government is least bothered about the people protesting on streets over CAA-NRC even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Government is open for discussion on all issues in the forthcoming Budget Session of Parliament. 

"The government is least bothered about the people protesting on streets over CAA-NRC. This shows their arrogance. They are not bothered about farmers too. The opposition wants that these issues be discussed too and the govt should be sensitive about it," Azad, Congress leader in Rajya Sabha said after all-party meeting ahead of the Budget session which starts on Friday. 

"Government is focussed only on getting Bills passed but we also drew their attention towards the sinking economy, rising unemployment and Kashmir. We told them Farooq Abdullah be released so that he can attend Parliament, others be released too," he said.

Massive protests have emerged across the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The new citizenship law promises citizenship to members of 6 non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who entered India before December 31, 2014.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the government is open for discussion on all issues as he addressed the all-party meeting on the eve of the Budget session.

Modi welcomed the suggestions of members that the session should focus on the prevailing economic situation in the country.

“Most of the members have asked for discussion on the Economic situation concerning the country. I welcome this and we need to discuss the economic issues as suggested by you all,” he was quoted as saying 

Prime Minister urged the members to see how the country can gain from the prevailing global economic scenario.

“We should focus on how we can turn the global scenario in favour of India,” he reportedly said. 

“And in this budget session, and in the beginning of the New Year if we can give a proper direction to the country’s economy it would be in the best interest of the country," he added.

“I agree with you all on the other important issues raised by you. And I would like to say that there should be an open discussion on all such issues,” he said on the other issues raised by leaders of the parties who attended the meeting. 

Referring to the last two sessions the Prime Minister said, “This is about the productivity of the session and the Parliament. In the last two sessions we saw the increased productivity and the great public response in favour of it. As people’s representatives, it is our responsibility to increase the productivity of the House, while we discuss all issues with an open mind.”

MPs from all parties along with the Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan attended the meeting.

"The government is ready and the Prime Minister has said that not just a debate but a structured debate should take place on every issue," Joshi said after the all-party meeting.