Bipartisan MPs’ panel can boost ties with Israel: PM Modi | India News
New Delhi: Bipartisan Parliamentary Friendship Groups of MPs announced by the Lok Sabha recently received a hearty endorsement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to Israel’s Knesset, as he spoke about the role it could play in strengthening ties at the legislative level between the two countries.Modi called for greater parliamentary interaction between the two democracies, using a parliamentary group led by BJP MP Bhartrihari Mahtab tasked with engaging with Israeli lawmakers.The idea of forming such a national committee, 64 of which were announced by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday, was seeded during Modi’s interaction with members of the multi-party delegation formed to present India’s position to the world after Operation Sindoor, as high levels of the government realized that they played a role in projecting a national interest.Modi then talked about institutionalizing the Bilateral Platform, which eventually led to the formation of 64 groups to strengthen ties with 61 countries and three blocs, including the EU Parliament and the Nordic countries.If the exercise, which is traditionally conducted with input from the government, reflects Parliament’s eagerness to deepen exchanges with legislatures around the world to complement traditional diplomacy, its decidedly bipartisan composition has revealed efforts to build intra-party amity amid growing tensions between the BJP and opposition parties.The groups include eight MPs, seven from the Congress and one from the CPM, who were suspended from the Lok Sabha during the budget session for “irregular” protests.Birla himself is facing an opposition notice to remove him from office, which is expected to resume on March 9 when Parliament reconvenes after recess.Bicameral ruling National Democratic Alliance MPs chair 37 of these parties and 27 others, including 10 from the Congress and three each from the main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party.
