New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will firm up the party’s strategy for the second half of the budget session of parliament starting on March 10. The grand old party is set to take a hard look at the controversial bills related to income tax and waqf property.
The Congress had earlier opposed both the waqf property amendment bill and the new income tax bill when they were introduced in the parliament. The waqf bill was reviewed by a joint parliamentary committee, which has submitted its report, including the dissent notes of the Congress members. The new income tax bill is being reviewed by a select committee of the Lok Sabha.
“The cpp meeting on March 10 will review the two bills and firm up the party’s strategy over the legislations. We had earlier opposed the two bills when the same were introduced, but we need to have a look at the redrafted bills before we decide our position. The report of the JPC on the waqf bill earlier did not include our dissent note, but it was done later on when we protested. We need to see the redrafted income tax bill also,” Congress party whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore told ETV Bharat.
According to Congress insiders, the grand old party is against the provisions of the income tax bill that allow the government to access emails and social media accounts of an individual in case of suspicion, saying this will lead to a ‘surveillance state’ and could be used to harass people. The Congress is also concerned that the redrafted waqf property bill is unlikely to include the objections that its members had listed before the JPC that earlier scrutinized the legislation.
“The provisions of the income tax amendment bill allowing the government access to the electronic devices, emails and all social media accounts of a suspect will create a surveillance state. These provisions may be used to harass people. The government wants to control everything but is not concerned about the problems being faced by the people like high unemployment and price rise. Also, the waqf property amendment bill is unlikely to include some key suggestions we had made before the JPC earlier Congress party whip in the Lok Sabha, Dr Mohammad Jawed told ETV Bharat. “We will coordinate with the like-minded parties over the issue to corner the government,” he said.
Besides these two bills, the main focus of Congress will be on the demands for grants and the finance bill as the grand old party has been slamming the Centre over the state of the economy and hardships being faced by the people.
“The demands for grants of some key ministries will have to be passed in the second half of the budget session. We will have to see what the government comes up with,” said Tagore.
Besides these two bills, the main focus of Congress will be on the demands for grants and the finance bill as the grand old party has been slamming the Centre over the state of the economy and hardships being faced by the people.
“The government brings up unnecessary issues to deflect public attention from the more pressing issues, but we have to do our job as the opposition,” said Jawed.
