The Opposition is showing no indications of allowing a smooth running of Parliament unless the BJP leaders involved in Lalit Gate and Vyapam scam. The Opposition parties have also reiterated that no discussion with the Government is possible unless there is a word from the Prime Minister that the “accused” BJP leaders will resign. An all party meeting is scheduled on Monday. With the Congress and the Left parties taking such a strident stand, there is little scope for running the House next week too.
The Congress said it has no objection in holding discussions to break the logjam, but it should be based on what action is taken against Esternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “It should be on the agenda for the discussions,” said Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
This Government had said on Friday that key bills are pending due to the Opposition’s negative attitude.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the Government’s offer for a debate on the issues cannot be accepted as a parliamentary discussion is not a substitute for an investigation. “These are serious charges that need to be investigated at the highest level. Till such an investigation continues, as is the norm for any government servant, the accused demits office in order to ensure strict impartiality,” Yechury said.
He said: “After all, PM Modi declared from the Red Fort that he is not the `Pradhan Mantri' but he is the `Pradhan Sewak'! Surely, therefore, the same rules and norms that govern a government servant in such cases must apply to ministers as well.”
The CPI(M) leader told the Government that all that the opposition is now asking this Modi government is that it applies the same yardstick that they were asking for earlier. “Consider the utterly duplicitous positions now being taken by the BJP compared to their own utterances in the past. Much has appeared in public domain on the positions taken by the minister for external affairs as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the finance minister as the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha when similar disruptions rocked the Parliament during the UPA government's tenure,” he said quoting statements of Swaraj and Jaitley on various corruption allegations against the UPA in Parliament.
“The Congress and BJP roles now seem to have been reversed! The only consistent anti-corruption voice in the Parliament remained and remains that of CPI(M) and the Left,” Yechury added.