‘Opposition will be in attacking mode’: Jairam Ramesh after meeting of INDIA bloc

New Delhi: After a meeting of floor leaders of the INDIA bloc concluded at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi today, party leader Jairam Ramesh said that the opposition would now be in an “attacking” mode towards the government.

A meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc was held today at the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the opposition’s strategy for the remaining session.

Several prominent leaders including — Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Gaurav Gogoi, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party Hanuman Beniwal, DMK MP T Siva, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi were present at the meet.

“We discussed on our strategies for the remaining four days. There will be a ‘motion of thanks’ following the President’s address. We also discussed that. Today, we talked about multiple issues including how the speaker of the Lok Sabha was elected and the President’s joint address”, Ramesh said.

Further, the Congress leader emphasized that the opposition will be in an “attacking” mode and mentioned that the mandate of the Lok Sabha polls is a “personal”, “political” and “moral” defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The opposition will be in “attacking” mode. The mandate of the Lok Sabha polls is a personal, political and moral defeat of the Prime Minister. The opposition will remind him of this every day”, he said.

DMK MP T Siva, while speaking about the key meeting, said, “We will give notices (in Parliament) on the NEET issue tomorrow.”

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG examination, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities. This prompted a series of protests across the country, with demonstrators and political parties demanding to disband the NTA.

Meanwhile, the case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the centre. The CBI, earlier today, arrested two persons from Bihar’s Patna in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.

The INDIA bloc has also been demanding the post of Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha, stressing that the post should be held by the opposition.

With no clarity forthcoming from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the INDIA bloc earlier nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the speaker post with the BJP fielding Om Birla for the post, paving the way for an election for the post of LS speaker.

However, on Wednesday, Birla was elected as the LS Speaker for the second time in a row after the motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was adopted by the House through a voice vote.

The house echoed with ‘Ayes’ and ‘Noes’ and the pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab declared Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house. The opposition which had named K Suresh as the Speaker candidate of the INDIA bloc did not press for a division vote.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds 293 seats while the INDIA bloc has 234 seats in the Lok Sabha.

The NDA has meanwhile kept mum over the position of the Deputy Speaker. The Deputy Speaker presides over the House when the post of the Speaker is vacant.

President Droupadi Murmu, earlier today, criticized the imposition of ‘emergency’ in 1975 under the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

“Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers,” said the president while addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament.

The President’s address also triggered reactions from the INDIA bloc leaders.

Earlier today, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain cheap applause by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies.

“Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections,” Kharge wrote on his official ‘X’ account.

The President’s address will be followed by a ‘motion of thanks’.

As per convention, following the President’s address, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adopt a ‘motion of thanks’ to thank the President for their address.

The ongoing Parliament session will run till July 3. (ANI)

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