The Hindu : National : Opposition stalling Parliament on non-issues: Azad

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Friday, Jul 23, 2004

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Opposition stalling Parliament on non-issues: Azad

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, JULY 22 . The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, today criticised the Opposition for creating an unprecedented situation by stalling Parliament on "non-issues" such as the supposed re-naming of a drinking water scheme after Rajiv Gandhi from an earlier Deen Dayal Upadhyaya scheme when "the fact is that there was no drinking water scheme named after Upadhyaya that was started by the Vajpayee Government."

Talking to reporters informally, Mr. Azad said "the Opposition had demanded a discussion on the Secretary-level India-Pakistan talks. We agreed, but when the time came for the discussion the NDA did not allow the House to function." Again, yesterday, the Lok Sabha was scheduled to discuss internal security issues related to the country in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular. "That debate was also demanded by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Government agreed. The time and date was fixed. But again, on the non-issue of renaming a non-existent Deen Dayal Upadhyaya water scheme the House was stalled, forcibly adjourned, and no discussion could take place."

Today, not only the NDA, but MPs from the United Progressive Alliance also wanted to discuss the floods in some States and the danger of drought in others.

"They have been asking for a discussion on this for the last two weeks. We agreed although the Minister concerned, Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, was not well. We decided to ask the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, to reply to that debate which was to have taken place today. Again, they demanded and forced an adjournment showing no interest in the grim situation in the country," Mr. Azad said.

`Sorry state'

Describing this as a "sorry state of affairs," he said that when the Congress was in the Opposition "everyday NDA ministers were lecturing to us on how much time and money was being wasted by the Opposition whenever the House proceedings were stalled. Now Parliament was being disrupted not for minutes and hours but for days, day after day."

"The main problem is they have not reconciled to their defeat," he said, adding "issues are being manufactured, as evident yesterday when the Finance Minister's reply to the Budget discussion was disrupted on the non-issue of renaming a drinking water scheme."

Soren's whereabouts

However, Mr. Azad evaded a direct response when asked whether the Prime Minister or anyone else from the Government would make a statement on the whereabouts of the Coal Minister, Shibu Soren, as demanded by the Opposition. "Any Minister can travel anywhere in the country. He does not need anyone's permission," was his response.

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