Will participate in Parliament's special session, but won't sit only for 'Modi chalisa': Congress

New Delhi: The Congress party on Tuesday made it clear that it will take part in the upcoming special session of Parliament, but will not sit there only for “Modi Chalisa” and wants issues of public concern to be also raised during the five-day sitting.

The special parliament session will be held from September 18 to 22.

The party’s decision was taken at a strategy group meeting chaired by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, where leaders of the Congress in both Houses were also present.

The interaction came ahead of the dinner meeting convened by Kharge at his residence for floor leaders of other parties of the INDIA alliance of the opposition.

While speaking to the reporters, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said, “We will surely demand from the government and try and raise our issues in every session. But we have not been getting an opportunity to raise them in the previous sessions”.

“We hope that the opposition will also get an opportunity to raise their issues which are of concern to the people. Our demand would be that there should be discussion on those issues and with this sentiment, we would participate in this special session,” he said.

He further said that whenever a special session is convened, all parties are told about the agenda in advance and there is a broad agenda prepared and discussed with various parties, including those of the opposition.

With inputs from PTI