L A T E S T      N E W S

Winter session of Parliament begins

New Delhi: Ahead of winter session of Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday urged the opposition parties to come together and discuss all issues and challenges facing the nation. "I invite all political parties to join hands in this vital national endeavour," said the PM.

Manmohan Singh said: "We all have an obligation, in opposition as well as in government, to work together to enable our parliamentary democracy."

The PM also said that the country was facing many problems on the economic front arising out of the consequences of global economic slowdown.

"We need to increase investments in infrastructure sectors and social services like health and education to accelerate economic growth," he said.

"We need to create new jobs on a large enough scale to provide gainful employment to our youth," he also added.

Manmohan Singh also said that the government was ready to discuss all issues on the floor of both the Houses.

"Our Parliament has a very heavy Legislative agenda during the Winter Session. I seek cooperation from my colleagues in the House," he also added.

UPA government and the opposition are to lock horns on Thursday as Parliament re-opens for a crucial winter session that will see a recent string of pro-market reforms being hotly contested.

PM's dinner for BJP leaders tonight

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet top BJP leaders over dinner on Thursday in a bid to narrow down differences with principal opposition party over contentious issues including FDI in multi-brand retail during the winter session of Parliament.

Manmohan Singh has invited BJP Parliamentary party chief LK Advani, Lok Sabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley to the dinner.

The Prime Minister returned to the country on Tuesday night after a two-day visit to Cambodia for the Asean Summit.

The dinner meeting, rescheduled from last Saturday due to the death of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, will come in the wake of an all-party meet called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar resulting in a logjam over the opposition's stringency on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties want a debate on FDI in retail through a voting provision in parliament, ally-turned-foe Trinamool Congress plans a no confidence motion.

Sushma Swaraj said after the all-party meeting with the speaker on Wednesday that the lowe

No-trust move: Mamata gives notice

New Delhi: Undeterred by the lack of numbers, the Trinamool Congress, a former ally of Congress, on Thursday moved a no-confidence motion against the UPA government for its decision to allow FDI in the retail sector.

According to reports, Trinamool Congress MPs gave a notice regarding the no-confidence motion against the ruling UPA regime to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar soon after the Parliament convened for the Winter Session.

The TMC moves comes even as the Shiv Sena has pressed for the adjournment of Parliament as a mark of respect to departed party chief Bal Thackeray.

Mamata Banerjee’s party had earlier said that it would table the no-confidence motion just before the sitting on the first day of the session of the House.

TMC MP Saugata Roy confirmed the development saying, “Party Chief Mamata Banerjee has directed all the party MPs, except Kabir Suman, to be present in the Lok Sabha today. We will certainly move the no-trust motion against the UPA government today.”