The current winter session of Parliament has been extended by a day for the upper House Rajya Sabha. The session which was slated to end on Tuesday, Jan 8 is now extended by a day and will now end on January 9, as the Narendra Modi government is scrambling to pass key bills including the one on Triple Talaq, amendments to the Citizenship Act and reservation quota for Upper Caste bill. Allies trouble for BJP continues: AGP walks out of coalition govt in Assam over Citizenship Bill
According to BJP insiders, The extra day will be used for the passage of the citizenship law amendment bill, bill for reservation to upper castes and to give a final push to the Triple Talaq bill. BJP ally JD(U) chooses a different path for Triple Talaq Bill, set to vote against it in Rajya Sabha
A senior minister also said the government is hopeful of extending day or two in Lok Sabha also. The issue of extension of this session has assumed significance in the wake of the Union cabinet’s decision to bring a bill reserving 10 % of government jobs and slots in educational institutions for the economically weaker sections (EWS) among general category.
The government is expected to make a constitutional amendment in the reservation bill on Tuesday in Lok Sabha and will push the draft in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday for which the day is extended.
The constitutional amendment bill would be required as the constitution does not provide for reservation on the ground of economic conditions. It envisages amendment to Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.
Those close to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu claimed that top ministers from the Central Government approached the Chairman with a request for an extension of the session in a bid to make passage of Key bills. Later, Naidu, after consulting others, decided to add one more day to the winter session of Rajya Sabha.
The ruling BJP wants to clear the bill, aimed to address the grievances of the upper caste vote bank of the BJP ahead of the general election 2019.
The government made a similar proposal at the Business Advisory Committee meeting of the Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon. Parliamentary affairs minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that an extension of one or two days may be given as the NDA government wants to complete some pending business. However, Congress, along with other Opposition parties such as the TMC and Left quickly rejected the proposal as they do not want to give any leeway to the government to push new legislation.