New Delhi: Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi criticized Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for her demand to discuss subjects she suggested at the special session of parliament starting September 18.
Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday shot off a letter to PM Modi ahead of the parliament session demanding discussion on nine subjects she listed in it.
Pralhad Joshi responded that the Congress leader was perhaps ‘not aware of traditions’, adding government discusses agenda only when session begins, NDTV reported.
Sonia Gandhi wrote to PM Modi amid a rumour that the government is mulling over changing the country’s name to Bharat.
Pointing out that no agenda has been announced for discussion, she listed a few such as Centre-state relationship, communalism, Manipur situation and border conflict with China.
As soon as the letter came, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister responded vehemently.
‘The session has been called following tradition. Perhaps you are not paying attention to tradition. Before calling the Parliament session, there is never any discussion with political parties, nor are the issues discussed. After the calling of the session by the President and before commencement of the session, there is a meeting of the leaders of all the parties in which the people rising in the Parliament are discussed. Issues and work are discussed.’ the minister reportedly wrote.
As the news broke out about probable name change, it has been speculated that the country’s name change could be the agenda of the Parliament session.
It all triggered after President Droupadi Murmu's invite to G20 leaders described her as ‘President of Bharat’.
Subsequently, another document that surfaced described PM Modi as ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’, according to NDTV.
Meanwhile, viral post on X said Pakistan is likely to claim the name ‘ India’ if the government officially replaces it with ‘Bharat’.
‘Pakistan may lay claim to the name "India" if India derecongnises it officially at UN level. --local media. Nationalists in Pakistan have long argued that Pakistan has rights to the name as it refers to the Indus region in Pakistan,’ said the post shared by South Asia Index's X handle.