NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said he would explain the opposition’s concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, delimitation and women’s reservation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 21.Speaking to reporters, Kharge said he had personally written to the Prime Minister and would raise all three issues with him.“I don’t want to talk about politics today. I have personally written a letter to the Prime Minister, and he has two letters from me,” Kharge said.“I will explain everything to him tomorrow, including the harm caused by the SIR of electoral rolls, the implications of the delimitation exercise they are undertaking, and the issue of reservation for women. Why are they not implementing it? I will explain all these things tomorrow,” he added.On Monday, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju responded to Kharge’s demand for an all-party meeting before Parliament takes up the proposed Delimitation Constitutional Amendment Bill. Rijiju said the government had repeatedly sought the Congress’s cooperation through written communications in March and April, as well as discussions with Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.He said the Congress had not provided dates for discussions despite repeated requests, prompting the government to consult other parties, including the DMK, Samajwadi Party, YSRCP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and BJD.Rijiju also rejected allegations of procedural impropriety over the delay in proroguing Parliament after the Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die on August 13. He said there was no constitutional requirement prescribing a specific period for prorogation.The minister urged the Congress to cooperate constructively and refrain from obstructing important legislation.Earlier, Kharge had written to Modi, flagging what he called an “unprecedented” delay in proroguing the Monsoon Session and urging him to convene an all-party meeting to discuss any fresh delimitation proposals. He also cautioned against attempts to bulldoze a “far-reaching” Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament.In his letter, Kharge said 64 days had passed since the Monsoon Session was adjourned sine die on August 13, but neither House had been prorogued.Referring to the government’s earlier legislative efforts, Kharge said the Bills had been made public late on April 14, followed by a special session on April 16. The Constitutional Amendment Bill on delimitation failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17.
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Kharge said he had written to Modi again on July 16 and August 27, reiterating the demand for an all-party meeting.“I am now doing so for a fourth time. Please convene an all-party meeting to have a detailed discussion on your new proposals before they are finalised for consideration in Parliament,” the Congress chief said.
