NEW DELHI: A day before the start of the Parliament session, Congress announced that it will bring a no-confidence motion against Modi government and urged the Centre to accept it to enable a discussion on the motion.

Indicating that the stand-off between the government and opposition will continue — it nearly washed out the budget session — Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge said the matter was also being discussed with other opposition parties to forge a common stand. Telugu Desam Party has already submitted a notice of no-confidence in Parliament to be taken up on the opening day on Wednesday.

Several parties had moved no-confidence motions during the budget session but they could not be taken up in the wake of non-stop protests by AIADMK and TRS, and had led to allegations that the protests were orchestrated by the government to stall any movement on no-confidence.

On Tuesday, the opposition raised the demand again, writing to the Speaker demanding that the no confidence motion be taken up. Signed by the Congress, CPM, Samajwadi Party , NCP, IUML, CPI, RJD and others, the parties alleged that BJP denigrated rules and the Constitution, and lowered the dignity of Parliament and the Chair. and questioned whether Mahajan had written to the Prime Minister, asking him to stop such “subversion”.

They also questioned the discretionary powers the Speaker had exercised. They said once 50 members stood in favour of the motion sought to be moved, the speaker had to announce that the House had granted leave (permission) for the no confidence motion to be taken up.

Last week, Mahajan had written to opposition parties expressing concern over the frequent disruptions in Parliament and asked them to introspect while ensuring that the dignity of Parliament was not undermined.

Congress leader Kharge argued that this was a constitutional right of a political party, adding the discussion on no-confidence would help in debating the promises and failures of the Centre over four years.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the party would raise several issues for discussion during the session such as employment generation, women’s safety, lynching, “misrule” in Jammu and Kashmir, dilution of SC/ST Act, attempts to abolish reservation policy and issues of farmers, besides special status to Andhra Pradesh.

He also accused the government of corruption during demonetisation and alleged that there was a scam in Ahmedabad District Co-operative bank accepting over Rs 750 crore -- highest among cooperative banks – after the announcement of currency ban. BJP president Amit Shah is the director of the Ahmedabad bank.

In a series of meetings ahead of Parliament, LJP leader Chirag Paswan raised the issues of dalits during the All Party meeting. He demanded that two amendments be brought to the Prevention of Atrocities Against SC/ST Act in the context of the recent Supreme Court order and to ensure reservation in promotion. A demand for the government to withdraw the notification for reservation in appointment in autonomous bodies was also raised by several leaders.

In a separate meeting with Rajya Sabha members, chairman Venkaiah Naidu urged MPs to ensure that the monsoon session was different from the chaotic budget. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the government, if it was keen to allow the Houses to function, should begin with legislations with “wider acceptance” rather than with issues that needed deeper debate. This may be the Congress’ attempt to push the contentious Triple Talaq Bill to the back burner when the BJP government would want it to remain front and centre.

During the discussion, Naidu told opposition leaders that they cannot hold the government “to ransom” and that issue-based protests should not come in the way of the house conducting business.

