The Hindu : National : Vital issues not discussed, says Pranab

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Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007
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Vital issues not discussed, says Pranab

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee told journalists here on Monday that vital issues were not discussed and no debate was allowed in the monsoon session of Parliament.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, he said: “Good parliamentary practice was a game where everybody is expected to follow the rules. When rules are not respected, there is deterioration and everyone is affected. In this Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister was not allowed to introduce his Ministers – the protests were not limited to one or two Ministers. In this session he was not allowed to be heard; no debate was allowed and important issues were not discussed,” he said.

Separately, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury criticised the Opposition for preventing all parties from expressing their views on the nuclear deal through a debate. The BAC had accepted the demand for a structured debate and the government too agreed to respond.

“We are fully convinced that they [the BJP] did not want to take a categorical position opposing the deal. They wanted to hide behind their mask [of opposing the deal] and, therefore, ensured the debate does not take place.” Several non-UPA parties like the Telugu Desam and the Samajwadi Party too favoured a debate, he said.

Mr. Yechury pointed out the BJP’s contradictory stand — accepting the rulings of the Speaker and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha that the nuclear deal was beyond Parliament’s competence but disrupting Parliament by seeking a joint parliamentary committee on the deal.

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