Why in News?
The government has called for an all-party meeting on July 21, ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, to be held at 11 a.m. on July 21. This meeting is in the news as it is the first such meeting to be attended by the newly appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Kiren Rijiju, and the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi.
What is an All-Party Meeting?
An all-party meeting is a customary session where floor leaders from all parties meet to discuss important issues and build a consensus before the start of a parliamentary session.
Significance
The significance of this meeting lies in the fact that it provides a platform for the ruling party and the opposition to come together and discuss important issues. The opposition is expected to present its wishlist at the meeting, and the ruling party will also present its agenda for the upcoming session.
The meeting is also significant as it comes ahead of the presentation of the first Union Budget to be presented to the 18th Lok Sabha.
The meeting has been called by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Kiren Rijiju, and will be attended by floor leaders from all parties.
However, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced that it will not be attending the meeting, as July 21 is observed as Martyrs’ Day in Bengal, in honour of 13 colleagues who were killed in a police firing in 1993.