Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday (September 13) that a meeting of the floor leaders of all political parties has been scheduled for September 17, a day preceding the commencement of a five-day special session of Parliament.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Minister Joshi stated, "Ahead of the parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM. The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email."
The government has not officially disclosed the purpose behind calling this special session. However, there is speculation among some BJP leaders that it might be utilised to highlight recent achievements such as the G20 Summit and the successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing. Others believe that a significant announcement with potential implications for upcoming elections could be on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has raised concerns about certain aspects of the upcoming session. Notably, the government has confirmed that there will be no Question Hour or Zero Hour during this session, and private member Bills will not be allowed. These decisions have drawn criticism and questioning from the Opposition.
"Today is September 13," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, referring to the government's failure to disclose the agenda of the special session. "The five-day special session of Parliament begins in five days, and nobody — except for One Man (and perhaps the Other One as well — knows what's on the agenda."
He also said that the agenda for every previous special session was well known in advance, and that only the Modi government "distorts" parliamentary conventions.
TMC's Derek O'Brien also took to X, and said: "TWO working days to go before the #SpecialParliamentSession begins and still not a word on the agenda."
"Only TWO people know! And we still call ourselves a parliamentary democracy," he added.