PM Modi holds meeting with senior cabinet ministers

New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) To discuss government strategy in the parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a meeting with senior cabinet ministers. Sources said that union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju and Pralhad Joshi attended the meeting which was held before the start of parliament proceedings.

It is learnt that the Prime Minister discussed ongoing protest by the opposition parties over suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha members and other issues in both houses of Parliament. The opposition also continues to raise its voices on price rise, unemployment and extended jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) in some States.

The opposition parties are also demanding a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP).

Sources said that in the meeting the Prime Minister discussed in detail with his cabinet colleagues about the issues on which continuous disruptions are caused by the opposition members.

On Tuesday, opposition members in both the houses staged a walkout over suspension of 12 members of the Upper House. The opposition is in no mood to budge and the face-off continued on Wednesday, too. Opposition members resorted to sloganeering on the issue of suspension of the 12 MPs.

The opposition parties also staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex against the suspension.

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha suspended 12 MPs for the entire winter session of Parliament for creating ruckus in the house during the monsoon session on August 11. The suspended MPs are from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPI-M and Shiv Sena.

On Tuesday, Rajya Sabha chairman M. Venkiah Naidu rejected the appeal to consider revoking the suspension. Naidu said, "I am not considering the appeal of Leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to revoke suspension of 12 MPs since no suspended MPs have apologised but are justifying their acts."