Govt should call all-party meeting: Kharge

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the government of trying to divide the Opposition by calling only few parties to resolve the ongoing impasse over suspension of 12 MPs.

Kharge said: "The Government is conspiring to divide the Opposition but the parties are united on the issue. It should call an all-party meeting."

He was reacting to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi calling a meeting on Monday of Opposition parties whose MPs were suspended last month for the Winter Session.

Joshi has called the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Communist Party of India to end stalemate in the House which has been continuing since day one of the session.

Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu had suggested that both the parties should resolve this issue as the House could not function properly this week.

Seeking an apology from the suspended MPs, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal had alleged that even after attacking marshals and misbehaving with the female marshals, senior Opposition members were unrepentant.

"The government is ready to consider their request provided they apologise," he had added.

However, Mallikarjun Kharge said: "We have been repeatedly telling you that the crime which we have not committed is being put on us," and charged the government with misleading the House on the incident.

The Congress has also convened a virtual meeting to devise a common strategy in both the Houses.

The Winter session slated to end on December 23.