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Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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BJP to move adjournment motion on Nandigram

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to vociferously raise the Nandigram issue in both Houses of Parliament on Monday, the next working day, since Friday has been declared a holiday on account of Chhat festival in Bihar.

The Left has said it was equally determined to oppose any discussion of Nandigram as it was a State subject and “against the rules.”

The BJP’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said that the party would give notice for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha — that is, suspension of Question Hour and immediate discussion of the issue. In the Rajya Sabha also the BJP would demand a discussion after suspension of Question Hour, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said.

This view was endorsed at the BJP’s core parliamentary committee meeting and the National Democratic Alliance leaders’ meeting that followed. A strategy was drawn up to counter the view expressed by the Left that it was opposed to Nandigram being discussed by Parliament since it was a State subject.

Leaders of the Communist Party of India and the CPI (Marxist) emphasised that under the rules State subjects could not be discussed in Parliament. The appropriate forum was the State Assembly concerned.

“Parliament functions according to rules. Whatever the rules permit, can be discussed. Nandigram can be discussed in the West Bengal Assembly,” CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said at a press conference. Other Left leaders, including his party’s national secretary D. Raja and CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, Basudeb Acharia and Rupchand Pal, were also present. He said the BJP had in the last session raised the demand for a joint parliamentary committee on the India-U.S. nuclear deal which was not permitted as per rules. He appealed to the Leader of the Opposition L. K. Advani to allow Parliament to function and not denigrate it.

The BJP is working on a strategy to counter this opposition by also quoting from the rule books. Mr. Malhotra said that atrocities against weaker sections of society and women can and have been discussed in Parliament.

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