NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress appear to be heading towards a confrontation on the Kargil defence purchases issue. The BJP said on Tuesday that it would agree to a discussion only after reports of the Central Vigilance Commission and the Justice Phukan Commission of inquiry were tabled in Parliament.

After the Government's offer to discuss the issue in Parliament, the Congress charged that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was not justified in disrupting Parliament proceedings regarding the second affidavit on the issue filed by the Government in the Supreme Court.

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, reiterated his Government's offer and told mediapersons on the sidelines of the defence investiture ceremony that the Defence Minister would make a statement in Parliament on the affidavit

" We are ready for any discussion in any form. We have nothing to hide."

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, is reportedly not considering at present the tabling of the interim report of the Phukan Commission that probed the Tehelka disclosures.

The Congress spokesperson, Anand Sharma said: "There was no justification for the BJP and National Democratic Alliance [to disrupt Parliament]. They want to make a point without discussion since they do not want the truth to come out."

The BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, accused the Government of filing its second "wrong" affidavit before the Apex Court under pressure from the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi because she had made this an issue in several Assembly and Parliament elections.

"She wanted the second affidavit just to protect herself from the embarrassment of raising [the] `coffins purchase' — a baseless and wrong issue — as an electoral issue."

Addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, the Leader of the Opposition, L. K. Advani, said that the issue was not an attack against the former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, but against the Opposition.

"We will give a fitting reply in and outside the Parliament," he said.

Mr. Malhotra said that Parliament rules required the publication of a report within six months after submission along with the Action Taken Report. He alleged that it was nearly ten months and the Government was suppressing the report.

The NDA partners, he said, will shape their strategy in Parliament on Wednesday morning.

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