Chidambaram, Farooq Abdullah should attend Winter session of Parliament: Azad

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and former Union Minister P Chidambaram should be allowed to attend the Winter session of Parliament.

"Farooq Abdullah who is under detention for over 3 months, should be allowed to attend winter session of Parliament. He has no case against him, he has raised no slogans against the government and he is under house arrest," Azad told media persons.

"Past precedents are such that MPs have been allowed to attend Parliament sessions even if their cases were being heard. So, P Chidambaram should also be allowed to attend the winter session," Azad told media.

Speaking about the upcoming Winter session of the parliament, Azad said, "We will discuss the issue of Kashmir situation which is very bad as there is no elected government there. We will raise this issue."

Commenting about the all-party meeting today, the senior Congress leader said, "Discussions were held in the all-party meet but they do not reflect in the Parliament, neither in the Lok Sabha nor in Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister says in the meeting that the opposition can raise any issue in the Parliament, but whenever we want to discuss the issues relating to the economy, unemployment, farm crisis, inflation, Kashmir situation in the Parliament, the government refuses to discuss. They give false assurances."

The Congress leader said, "In the winter session of the Parliament, we will also raise an issue that without referring a bill to a standing committee or without holding discussions, the government asks the opposition to pass the bill. That is not possible and we are going to discuss on this issue."

Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "In the winter session of the parliament, we will discuss that MPs have right to visit any part of the country and so as in Jammu and Kashmir. So we have the right to go there and discuss. We will raise this issue.