'Checks & Balances Of Constitution Under Threat': CPI Seeks Prez's Intervention Into Special Parliamentary Session

Raising concern over the Government's decision to convene a special session of Parliament, CPI MP Binoy Viswam said the Constitution was under “threat”.

New Delhi: Voicing dissent over the Centre’s decision to convene a five-day special session of the Parliament from September 18-22, CPI MP Binoy Viswam on Sunday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention to “preserve” the parliamentary system.

“I write to you with utter disappointment regarding the manner in which the government has proceeded to convene a special session of the parliament from September 18-22. It was informed through the summons, that this special session shall not have any of the functions that Parliament as legislature has always performed. It will not have zero-hour, question hour or private member’s day. No agenda for the special session has been circulated.”

Flagging his concern over the Constitution coming under “threat”, he further wrote, “As we witnessed in previous sessions, government stifled members from discussing issues of utmost importance like Manipur violence, Adani revelations and Pegasus snooping issue…The government intends to give a clear message that a parliamentary majority has enabled them to completely do away with the parliamentary system. It’s evident that the system of checks and balances envisaged in our Constitution is under a major threat. I request your intervention to preserve the parliamentary system.”

Meanwhile, reacting on Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury refusing to be a part of the eight-member committee formed to explore the possibility of ‘one nation, one election’, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the panel, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is nothing but an attempt to “sabotage the parliamentary customs”.

Speaking to news agency ANI, the Congress leader said, “Government of India wants to divert the attention from the Adani issue and that is why they are doing these things. Also, they are totally sabotaging the parliamentary customs and conventions.”

Talking about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s exclusion from the panel, he said, “This is an insult. Even though we don’t have any faith in that committee, the government should at least clarify.”