By IANS,
New Delhi : The Left parties along with the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) Tuesday met President Pratibha Patil to protest against the union government’s decision to postpone the second half of the 14th session of parliament to October.
The delegation, which included Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, termed the government’s move as a “manipulation of established traditions of parliament since Independence.”
“It (the decision) violates the basic principle of governance established under our system. Central to India’s constitutional structure is that the sovereignty rests solely with the people,” said a statement issued by the Left parties.
“The absence of the parliament session negates the legislature’s right and executive obligations.”
Last month the Lok Sabha secretariat said the second part of the 14th session would begin Oct 17 and conclude Nov 21.
With that notification, the government effectively rejected the Opposition’s demand for early convening of parliament to discuss the nuclear civil agreement with the United States.
The session will be a continuation of the special session held on July 21-22 during which the Congress-led coalition government won the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha after the four Left parties withdrew their support on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
The deal has since passed the hurdles at the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Suppliers Group. It has yet to cross the last hurdle in the US Congress which has to ratify it by up-down vote without debate.
The parliamentary delegation also raised apprehension about soaring inflation and rising prices which the government has failed to control.