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.

 THE Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by parliament despite strong objections raised by the CPI(M) and other opposition parties. The divisive bill was passed by Lok Sabha on December 9 and by Rajya Sabha on December 11. Speaking against the legislation in the lower house, CPI(M) member S Venkatesan said we have no doubt this bill will haunt India for the next several years. A secular country can never offer citizenship on the basis of religion. The idea goes against the very fundamentals of our constitution. This idea goes against the traditions followed by India all along.

THE CPI(M) opposed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 in both houses of Parliament. In Rajya Sabha, T K Rangarajan said today is a black day. The government did not consult the people of Jammu and Kashmir or Ladakh. The government dissolved the Assembly and don’t want to hold any election. It has taken 35,000 armed personnel there. You are creating another Palestine! Tomorrow you can do anything with any State. Tomorrow you can bifurcate any State. So, the Constitution itself is in danger.

THE CPI(M) opposed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and requested the government to withdraw it so as not to dilute the powers and autonomy of the transparency panel. In Lok Sabha, P R Natarajan said the power of the legislature should not be allowed to be taken over by the executive. He asked the government not to dilute the original Act. In Rajya Sabha, K K Ragesh said the amendment would make the Information Commission just another government department. The proposed amendment would kill the very underlying principle of the RTI Act.

ON July 5, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2019-20 in Lok Sabha and subsequently it was laid in Rajya Sabha. Speaking on the budget in Lok Sabha, P Natarajan said it is shocking that the government has chosen to give several tax concessions to the corporate sector while burdening the common people with additional excise duties on petrol and diesel to the tune of Rs 2 per litre. The budget shows very little increase in spending for people. Total subsidies as per cent of total expenditure have remained almost unchanged at about 12 per cent.