NEW DELHI: The disruption of Parliament on Thursday that would have been practically the very first working day of the winter session was described as "unfortunate" by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who stated that "the Government was prepared to discuss the Volcker report today and now."

The Opposition's notice for a discussion on the Volcker Committee's report on the United Nations administered Iraqi food-for-oil programme was, in fact, on the listed agenda for the day in the Lok Sabha. It was to be discussed under a substantive motion (Rule 184).

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters that in the morning itself he had let the Speaker Somnath Chatterjee know that the Government would have no objection in allowing the conversion of the Opposition sponsored motion into an adjournment motion for which a fresh notice was given by the Opposition. However, the Opposition wanted disruption, not a discussion, he noted.

While the Prime Minister's remarks were released as a "statement" by his media adviser Sanjay Baru, Mr. Dasmunsi met reporters informally to reiterate his earlier stand that the Government was prepared to discuss "anything" provided the Opposition allowed "parity in time" for official legislative business.

"Not permissible"

Mr. Dasmunsi pointed out that the Opposition attempt to widen the discussion on the Volcker report by including references to the Mitrokhin Archives and the memoirs of former United States Ambassador to India Patrick Moynihan was "not permissible" under the rules that categorically stated that an adjournment motion must be related to "a specific matter of recent occurrence."

The Moynihan book was more than two decades old, Mr. Dasmunsi pointed out. The Opposition alleged now that the country was sold to the Central Intelligence Agency, then why did not BJP president L.K. Advani, who headed the Home Ministry for six years investigate the matter, he remarked.

On Rule 188

Also, he pointed out that Rule 188 provided that no motion could be permitted on an issue being investigated by a commission unless the Speaker allowed it. The NDA Government, he said, took recourse to this rule every time the Congress-led Opposition demanded a discussion on Tehelka and did not yield despite attempts spread over 20 days.

At a meeting in the Speaker's chamber on Thursday morning, the Government apparently made it clear that the Speaker had been magnanimous towards the Opposition using his discretion to allow the Volcker discussion, and the Government on its part would not raise any point of order. Congress party circles pointed out that the only conclusion anyone could come to was that the Opposition was determined to disrupt proceedings.

NDA meeting

Bharatiya Janata Party deputy leader V.K. Malhotra made it clear that the Opposition intended to continue the disruption on Friday morning. "Tomorrow [Friday] there would be a meeting of National Democratic Alliance leaders after the House is adjourned," he told reporters while objecting to the Prime Minister's remark that the disruption was unfortunate. "His remark was unfortunate," Mr. Malhotra added.

When asked whether the disruption would continue only for one more day or till the Opposition extracted the resignations of Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance and of Natwar Singh as Cabinet Minister, he said, "that decision too would be taken at the NDA meeting."

Two issues

At the Business Advisory Committee meeting of the Lok Sabha the Opposition suggested two issues be taken up next week — the Volcker report and internal security, including the Delhi bomb blasts. The Government indicated it would like to bring the Disaster Management Bill and legislation to replace two ordinances, including the Manipur University Bill.

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