Speaker will decide on Ethics Panel report on Mahua Moitra, says Pralhad Joshi after all-party meeting

New Delhi:Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday said that the Government is fully ready for structured debate and they have requested the opposition to let the House function smoothly.

A meeting of all floor leaders of political parties of both houses of Parliament was held today ahead of the Winter Session that begins on December 4.

Addressing reporters here after the meeting, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that the government is keen on having fruitful discussions in the Winter Session but parties need to “follow procedure” for a “structured” debate.

Govt fully ready for structured debate; we have requested Oppn to let House function smoothly: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 2, 2023

“There have been demands for Short Duration, Calling Attention and Zero Hour. We conduct Zero Hour in both Houses almost regularly. We have held Short Duration discussions also. We have said that we are ready for discussion, but they will also have to follow the procedure for a structured debate,” Joshi said.

Joshi requested all Parliamentarians to ensure the smooth running of the House so that the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last five years can be put on record.

“This is the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha. So there should be a structural debate. Our request is that the house should run smoothly. We would like to keep the unprecedented work done under the leadership of Modi in the last five years on record,” he said.

An ethics panel probing the cash for query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and which has has recommended her expulsion for the remainder of the current Lok Sabha is set to submit its report in the House on Monday.

On this, Pralhad Joshi said that the House will abide by the precedent that has been followed on Ethics and the Speaker will decide on the matter in the House.

“The precedent that has been adopted so far on Ethics will be followed. There has been a discussion on that in the Ethics Committee and the Speaker will decide on what will be done in Parliament,” Joshi said while speaking to reporters about the Ethics Committee report.

Moitra has been probed by the Ethics Commitee on the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations levelled against her by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Joshi said that the Winter session will commence on December 4 and will conclude on December 22. “There will be 15 sittings in a period of 19 days,” he said.

Speaking about the all-party meeting, Joshi said, “30 leaders from 23 parties were present in today’s all-party meeting under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh. We have received several suggestions.”

On discussion on the Manipur issue, he said, “We were ready to discuss Manipur in the last session. We had admitted that in Rajya Sabha as well. We are ready for any discussion but there is a procedure for all of this.”

“We are bringing in 19 Bills and two are financial items. There are a total of 21 items. The three Bill are from the Home Ministry. There is a bill on Central University, constitutional order,” he said.

The all party meeting was held before the announcement of results of assembly elections of four states (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana) tomorrow. Results of Mizoram polls will be announced on December 4.