Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 07, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Friday, Sep 07, 2007 ePaper |
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Special Correspondent
Government wants to kill issue through debate: Sushma Last word has been said: Dasmunsi
NEW DELHI: The stalemate between the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party on the latter’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the nuclear deal continued on Thursday. There was no sign that either the BJP or the government would relent. After a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, followed by a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance, the Opposition took the stand that it would not allow a parliamentary debate on the nuclear deal. “We decided it was a government trap to take the nuclear deal controversy through a parliamentary debate and thus kill the issue,” BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said at a press conference. “No JPC, no House,” she added, indicating that unless the government conceded the demand for a JPC, the Opposition would not allow Parliament to function. Lok Sabha stalled
The strategy was put into action in the Rajya Sabha, where a discussion on the nuclear agreement was listed on the day’s agenda. In the Lok Sabha, where the Sachar Committee report and the action taken by the government on it were to be discussed, the Opposition stalled the House with its relentless demand for a JPC. Separately, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the last word on the subject had already been said a few days ago in the Lok Sabha by the Leader of the House, Pranab Mukherjee. There was no question of the government agreeing to a JPC. However, if the BJP’s objection was to the United Progressive Alliance-Left mechanism, a similar panel could be set up between the government and the BJP or the government and the NDA. “Let them bring a delegation to us to demand this. We will consider it.” Mr. Dasmunsi pointed out that the JPC had become the latest excuse for disruption of the House. “Everyday they [the BJP leaders] find a different reason not to allow the House to function.” He indicated that the debate would be listed on the agenda of the Lok Sabha for Monday as decided by the Business Advisory Committee. If the Opposition wanted to discuss the deal, it should allow the debate. Only those who were afraid of losing the argument ran away from a debate. “Short notice”
He pointed out that in the Rajya Sabha, one section of the BJP felt that the notice for Thursday’s debate was too short. Another MP (in the Lok Sabha), who gave notice for an adjournment motion on the subject, privately admitted that he had not read the 123 agreement, the Minister alleged. The BJP and the NDA were dancing to the tune of parties they were trying to come into their camp. Ms. Swaraj admitted that when the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, went to China and agreed to set up the border dispute resolution mechanism, he put Arunachal Pradesh on the discussion table without taking Parliament into confidence. Her defence was that only a mechanism for discussions had been set up, no agreement was signed.
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