The Hindu : National : BJP unlikely to relent on JPC demand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 10, 2007
ePaper

National

National

BJP unlikely to relent on JPC demand

Neena Vyas

Parliamentary impasse expected to continue

Debate to make opposition demand irrelevant
Word of Pranab final, says Congress

NEW DELHI: A big question mark hangs over the scheduled debate in the Lok Sabha on the India-United States nuclear deal on Monday as there is no sign of the Bharatiya Janata Party relenting on its demand for a joint parliamentary committee to discuss the agreement in-depth, a demand that has stalled Parliament in the last three working days.

A discussion on the deal could not be held in the Rajya Sabha last week. The BJP said the scheduling of a discussion was a “government trap” to make the Opposition demand irrelevant.

A senior BJP leader said the party’s strategy would be decided on Monday morning ahead of the start of the parliamentary proceedings. But it seems the party is unlikely to allow the proceedings. The BJP deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj said on Friday that the Opposition demand for a JPC in the Bofors case continued to hold up parliamentary proceedings for 15 days before the government relented, and it was “only three days” since the parliamentary impasse on this demand for a JPC.

Sources in the Congress have made it clear: the word of Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee on this subject was final. From the point of view of the government most of the important official business has been done.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National