Rijiju rules out special session as Rahul seeks Opposition consultation

The Story in Brief

Union minister Kiren Rijiju has ruled out extending Parliament’s monsoon session or holding a special sitting from August 16 to 18 for women’s reservation and delimitation bills. He made the statement after meeting Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi as the government and Opposition remained locked in a parliamentary impasse.

The Times Now report says Rijiju called Gandhi and urged cooperation, while Gandhi sought consultations with Opposition parties. Hindustan Times reports a 40-minute meeting in which Gandhi demanded a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on violence against protesting students and a discussion on alleged donation theft in Ayodhya. Congress also wants women’s reservation carved from the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. The government has been seeking support for key legislation.

The Indian Opinion

The easy narrative that one side alone is blocking Parliament ignores the stated demands on both sides. The government wants legislative cooperation, while the Opposition seeks ministerial accountability and debate on specific issues. Claims of an imminent special session also travelled before Rijiju rejected them. The useful test is not political messaging but whether the Houses record sustained debate and whether any reservation proposal can secure the required two-thirds majority.

Sources (2): timesnownews.com, hindustantimes.com

This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.

Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.

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