New Delhi: Opposition parties have demanded that the working of the Union Home Ministry be discussed in the Rajya Sabha as the House is deliberating on various ministries after the Budget presentation. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien raised the issue in the House on Thursday and said that 15 opposition parties want the Home Ministry to be discussed.
The Rajya Sabha, which has a limited role in passing money bills, including the finance bill, discusses the working of some select ministries after the Budget, while the Lower House discusses demands for grants for select ministries.
The Upper House is set to discuss four ministries, of which three have been announced already.
On Wednesday, a Rajya Sabha bulletin said the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) decided to discuss the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry. On Thursday, it was announced that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will be discussed, and the Trinamool Congress will lead the debate.
Raising the issue in the Upper House, O'Brien said that 15 opposition parties want a discussion on the Home Ministry.
My appeal to the Chair on behalf of all of us, please let us not shy away from having a discussion on the Union Home Ministry, which is a top priority because this is the council of states, and so many states have to deal with the Home Ministry," he said.
The demand was also raised by the TMC in a meeting of the BAC of the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The demand was backed by other INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, DMK, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI (M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The Biju Janata Dal, which is not a part of the INDIA bloc, has also backed the demand.
