A day before the start of the Budget Session of Parliament, 16 Opposition parties have decided to boycott the President's address on Friday in solidarity with the farmers protesting the new farm laws.
The 16 parties are the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, National Conference, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, Indian Union Muslim League, RSP, Peoples Democratic Party, MDMK, Kerala Congress (M) and the All India United Democratic Front.
These opposition parties have demanded an independent probe into the Centre's role in the violence that shook the national capital during the farmers'' tractor parade on Republic Day.
They also demanded the repeal of the three farm laws and criticised the central government for remaining unresponsive to the demands of lakhs of farmers protesting against the agri laws.
AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Thursday said his party will boycott the president's address to the joint sitting of both houses over the ongoing farmers protest.
Singh said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demands complete roll back of three agri laws. He alleged the "anti-farmer" legislations were aimed at benefiting a few industrialists.
"The Aam Aadmi Party is opposing these anti-farmer laws from the very first day and our protest will continue. This is why it has decided to boycott the President's address tomorrow at Parliament."
The Congress on Wednesday had held Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the violence that shook the national capital on Republic Day and said he should be sacked immediately.
The Congress had also accused the Modi government of being a part of a concerted conspiracy to malign the farmers' agitation by allowing some miscreants to enter the Red Fort complex and hoist a religious flag, in their bid to ensure that the farmers bury their demand for the repeal of the three new agri laws.
President Ram Nath Kovind would address the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament on January 29 heralding the start of the Budget Session of Parliament.
(With inputs from Agencies)
