Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting rescheduled, to be held on July 15

New Delhi [India], July 12 : Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting is now scheduled to be held on July 15 at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence here to discuss the issues to be raised in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, party sources said on Wednesday. 

Earlier the meeting was to be held on July 16. 

This meeting will be held ahead of the second Opposition unity meeting being convened by Congress in Karnataka's Bengaluru on July 17-18.

Sources said that the July 15 meeting will discuss various issues to be raised by the grand old party in the upcoming Parliament session, commencing on July 20, including the Manipur violence, rising inflation, and unemployment. 

The Monsoon session is slated to continue till August 11.

The meeting also holds significance, as it will also discuss the Gujarat High Court's recent order, refusing to stay Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. 

The Gujarat HC court on July 8, upheld Sessions Court's order and refused to grant any interim relief to Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leader had moved the Gujarat High Court on April 25 challenging the Surat sessions court order which declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case. The Surat sessions court had on April 20 rejected Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction by the lower court in the criminal defamation case.

In his judgement, Additional sessions judge Robin P Mogera had cited Gandhi's stature as an MP and former chief of the country's second-largest political party and said he should have been more careful. He cited prima facie evidence and observations of the trial court and said it transpires that Rahul Gandhi Gandhi made certain derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi apart from comparing people with the same surname with thieves.

He cited the disqualification criteria under the Representation of the People Act and added that removal or disqualification as MP could not be termed irreversible or irreparable loss or damage to Gandhi. Following his conviction by a lower court in the criminal defamation case, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP. He had been elected to Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala.

Apart from it, ahead of the 23-day long session, the NDA floor leaders are to meet in Parliament Library Building on July 19, to discuss important issues and Parliamentary Business.