Kharge flags 64-day delay in proroguing Parliament, urges Modi to call all-party meet on delimitation

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an all-party meeting on any proposed delimitation exercise, warning against pushing through a “far-reaching” Constitutional Amendment Bill without consultation.

In a letter to Modi on Friday, Kharge raised concerns over the delay in formally proroguing Parliament’s Monsoon Session, calling the situation “unprecedented”.

The session was adjourned sine die on August 13, but 64 days later, neither the Lok Sabha nor the Rajya Sabha had been prorogued, Kharge pointed out.

He also recalled writing to the Prime Minister on April 11, urging him to hold an all-party meeting before introducing any Constitutional Amendment Bill concerning delimitation.

“You did not do so. Thereafter, you made the Bills public on the late evening of April 14, and convened a special session on April 16. The Constitutional Amendment Bill on delimitation failed to muster the necessary two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17 by a decisive margın,” Kharge said.

“Thereafter, on July 16 and August 27, I wrote to you again repeating our request for an all-party meeting. I am now doing so for a fourth time. Please convene an all-party meeting to have a detailed discussion on your new proposals before they are finalised for consideration in Parliament,” the Congress chief said.

All political parties must get sufficient time to deliberate among themselves, with each other and with all the other stakeholders, he added.

“Please do not once again try and bulldoze a far-reaching Constitutional Amendment Bill through Parliament as you attempted earlier and that met its well-deserved fate,” Kharge said.

Sharing Kharge's letter on X, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said, “Mallikarjun Kharge ji has just written to the prime minister on the unprecedented delay in proroguing the Monsoon Session of Parliament and any moves the Modi government may be planning.”