PM Modi chairs Union Cabinet meeting amid Parliament's special session
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a key Union Cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss the agenda for the ongoing special Parliament session. It started at 6:30pm and reportedly lasted over 100 minutes. There was no post-meeting briefing; the cabinet might have cleared anything—from reservation bills for women and the Other Backward Class (OBC) to the "One Nation, One Election" and India's name change proposals.
Twitter Post
Watch: Visuals of Union Cabinet meeting chaired by PM Modi
#WATCH | The meeting of the Union Cabinet is underway in Parliament House Annexe in Delhi pic.twitter.com/73zxxt0xFn
— ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2023
Meetings
Ministers held series of meetings with PM Modi, Amit Shah
Earlier on Monday, a series of meetings between several Union ministers reportedly preceded the PM Modi-chaired Union Cabinet meeting. First, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi reportedly met Union Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah. BJP chief JP Nadda was also present in this meeting. Later, Goyal and Joshi also reportedly met with PM Modi.
Details
8 bills listed for Parliament special session
Reportedly, eight bills will be taken up for discussion in the Parliament's ongoing five-day special session. The opposition was informed about it at an all-party meeting on Sunday. However, the controversial Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Bill, 2023, for selecting top election officers was dropped following protests by the opposition and activists. It was previously believed to be part of the agenda.
Statement
Centre keeps everyone guessing, opposition irked
Meanwhile, the Centre kept everyone guessing about its special session agenda and the cabinet meeting outcome, too. Making matters worse, it decided not to have a cabinet briefing. Earlier, ex-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi even wrote to PM Modi about the absence of an agenda for the special session. On Monday, however, PM Modi said this session might be short but would witness "historic decisions."