IN Lok Sabha, CPI(M) member A M Ariff opposed the motion of thanks on president’s address to the joint sitting of parliament in the beginning of the budget session. The mover of the motion has done only “Modi-stuti” (glorification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi), nothing more than that. “That is why, I rise to oppose the contents of the motion of thanks. It is not so common for the opposition parties to boycott the president’s address as we witnessed this year. I believe the president is aware of the circumstances that led to such an unprecedented incident.

IN the monsoon session of Rajya Sabha, the Left parties led by the CPI(M) opposed the ordinance raj of the NDA regime, which is devoid of all decorum India has followed in parliamentary democracy. Despite being small in numbers, the CPI(M) has led the resistance in Rajya Sabha against the undemocratic, anti-farmer and anti-worker legislations brought in by the NDA regime.

THE CPI(M) has opposed the Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, which was brought in to settle tax disputes between individual and the income tax department without any penalty or interest. Speaking against the bill in Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) member Elamaram Kareem said the scheme was highly discriminatory against honest tax payers. It is, like, regular tax payers got no relief but dubious persons against whom the government cannot impose what they preach.

THE budget session of parliament began on January 31 with Ram Nath Kovind’s address to the joint sitting of both houses. On February 1, the union budget 2020-21 was presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In the budget speech, one would hardly get any indication of either the economic slowdown or the unemployment rate, which is the highest in decades. But, the finance minister announced selling shares of LIC, the biggest financer of government schemes.