Lokpal: BJP wants to take off from where it was left

NEW DELHI: The controversy over the unfinished Lokpal debate in the Rajya Sabha will be rekindled when the Opposition raises the issue in the Upper House on Tuesday, demanding that the matter be taken up from where it was left in the winter session.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, has decided to give a notice on Tuesday for suspension of question hour even as the government said that as the winter session was prorogued, fresh amendments had started coming in and these would have to be examined.

"The debate should continue from where it was left inconclusive in the winter session," Jaitley said. He had dubbed the abrupt adjournment of the House on the midnight of December 29, during the reply of minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayansamy to the debate on the Lokpal bill, as "fleedom at midnight". The Opposition had made it clear then that it was not a closed chapter and that the issue would be taken up in the budget session.

Jaitley said the reason government had then said that it needed more time to go through amendments moved by members. "By now, it has had enough time to study them," Jaitley said. He said government should give an "adequate reply" on this issue in Parliament.

When BJP had raised the issue during the meeting of the Rajya Sabha Business Advisory Committee (BAC) earlier in the day, other Opposition parties, including the Left, backed it. During the debate in the Rajya Sabha, allies like the Trinamool Congress were also in agreement with some Opposition-sponsored amendments, including the one on Lokayuktas saying it was an encroachment of the states' domain.

However, the government has indicated that it plans to take up the Lokpal bill in the second part of the budget session beginning on April 24, after a three-week recess. Bansal told reporters that the government had "very little time" for legislative business in the first part of the session. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas bills figure among 39 bills listed for consideration and passing.

Bansal said around 200 amendments to the bill moved in the Upper House in the winter session had lapsed after it was prorogued and members started giving amendments afresh. "One member has moved some amendments. I believe some others may also do so. Even the government will have to move amendments afresh. These will have to be examined before taking them up for discussion," Bansal said.

However, the Opposition appeared determined to corner the government on the issue. "We will ask why the house was adjourned abruptly. The rule they cited about the House have to adjourn at midnight was baseless. The House could have completed its business and then adjourned. We will seek a response from the government," deputy leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha, SS Ahluwalia, said.

In the Lok Sabha, which is likely to take up the debate on motion of thanks on the presidential address, BJP is seeking an amendment on the NCTC issue. "We will seek amendments on sensitive issues," he said. Ahluwalia said the address "lacked vision, gave no indicators on how to deal with the economic crisis or how the common man will be freed of woes".