Opposition parties on Sunday asked the government to ensure discussion in parliament on the Pegasus snooping scandal, price rice and unemployment during the all-party meeting called by the government ahead of the Winder Session starting from Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mostly used to attend the all-party meetings before Parliament session did not attend the meeting, which was attended by 31 political parties while AAP leader Sanday Singh boycotted the meeting claiming he was not allowed to put his point of view in the meeting.

The opposition leaders also raised other important issues including the extended jurisdiction of the Border Security Force in some states, including West Bengal, legal support to minimum support price (MSP) for crops and disinvestment of profitable state-owned firms.

Addressing the meeting, after listening to the points raised by the leaders of all parties attending, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the government wanted healthy discussion in the Parliament. He also appreciated that the discussion had been very healthy and that important issues had been flagged. He said parties have expressed the need for more discussion in Parliament with regard to which, he underlined that the government also wants healthy discussion in Parliament, said a senior officer of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Senior Minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry Minister), Pralhad Joshi (Minister of Parliamentary Affairs), Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Murleedharan attended the meeting and discussed the issues to be taken up during the Winter Session. Senior leaders from 31 parties including INC, DMK, AITC, YSRCP, JD(U), BJD, BSP, TRS, SS, LJSP, NCP, SP, CPI(M), IUML, TDP, Apna Dal, CPI, NPF, SAD, AAP, AIADMK, KC(M), MNF, RSP, RPI(A), RJD, NPP, MDMK, JKNC, TMC( M) attended the meeting

Giving details of the business during the Winter Session, Prahlad Joshi told the opposition leaders that the Parliament would commence on Monday and subject to exigencies of Government Business, the Session may conclude on 23 December. He said the Session would provide a total of 19 sittings spread over a period of 25 days.

He told the opposition parties leader that two meetings were held with Secretaries/ Senior Officers of various Ministries where certain items were identified for being taken up during the ensuing Winter Session. Based on the feedback, 37 business items including 36 Bills and one financial item have been identified for being taken up during the Winter Session, Prahlad Joshi said.

Three Bills replacing Ordinances namely the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 promulgated during the inter-session period are required to be enacted as Acts of Parliament within a period of six weeks from the reassembly of Parliament.

He further assured the opposition party leaders that the government was always ready to discuss on the floor of the House, any issue as permitted under Rules of Procedure and requested all parties for co-operation for the smooth functioning of the House.