N-debate in Upper House likely
Under strong pressure from the Left, government agreed to schedule the debate on the US-India nuclear deal in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: Under strong pressure from the Left, government on Wednesday agreed to schedule the debate on the US-India nuclear deal in Rajya Sabha on Thursday even as it reached out to BJP in an effort to ensure that the Opposition lifted its blockade of Parliament.
The Left parties made it clear that they were keen on the debate on the nuclear deal being held as soon as was feasible. They conveyed to government that the likely dates of September 11 and 12 for the debate be brought forward.
The Left demand was discussed at a meeting held in Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee's office in Parliament House where Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi, MoS for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri and Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, took part in the deliberations.
Yechury told media after the meeting that Left parties were most keen that the debate be held and that this had nothing to do with the deliberations of the UPA-Left panel on the nuclear deal.
"The panel is likely to meet after September 9, but we want the issue to be debated threadbare in Parliament," he said.
BJP sources said that the NDA would meet at 10.30 am to take a view. "At 10.15pm it is still not in the list of business," said BJP's Rajya Sabha MP S S Ahluwalia.
He pointed out that the government was acting in a haphazard matter as the nuclear debate required preparation. "It is clear that government is acting under pressure," said a BJP leader.
The Left's position made it difficult for government to push the debate, which could severely expose faultiness between UPA and its allies, to the end of the monsoon session.
While government is also well primed for the debate having given its lead speakers like Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal plenty of "ammunition" in terms of the deal's purported benefits, it has been a little chary of the UPA-Left divisions showing up.
All this led Mukherjee to walk across to the office of Leader of Opposition L K Advani on Wednesday afternoon for a long chat.
The 40-minute discussions saw Mukherjee explain that government could not accede to the NDA demand for a joint parliamentary committee to examine the nuclear deal.
On his part, Advani said that if a UPA-Left panel could look at the deal after it had been approved by Cabinet, there was no reason why a JPC could not be set up.
After the meeting, Advani said Mukherjee's views would be considered by NDA. He told TOI that there had no discussion on Parliament adjourning sine die and that Mukherjee had not brought forward any such proposal.
Later, BJP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj also said that there had been no discussions on any move to curtail Parliament as yet.
Yechury also said that Left very much wanted Parliament to function. Government, too, is keen to make a few points on Sachar Commission and the nuclear deal.
For the Left, the debate in nuclear deal will give it an opportunity to argue that it was not engaged in any toppling game with regard to the government and that its opposition to the pact was not unreasoned.
The view in the Left is that the media has given it the short shrift and a debate in will provide an opportunity to set the record straight as far as the Left parties were concerned.
The Left parties made it clear that they were keen on the debate on the nuclear deal being held as soon as was feasible. They conveyed to government that the likely dates of September 11 and 12 for the debate be brought forward.
The Left demand was discussed at a meeting held in Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee's office in Parliament House where Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi, MoS for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri and Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, took part in the deliberations.
Yechury told media after the meeting that Left parties were most keen that the debate be held and that this had nothing to do with the deliberations of the UPA-Left panel on the nuclear deal.
"The panel is likely to meet after September 9, but we want the issue to be debated threadbare in Parliament," he said.
BJP sources said that the NDA would meet at 10.30 am to take a view. "At 10.15pm it is still not in the list of business," said BJP's Rajya Sabha MP S S Ahluwalia.
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He pointed out that the government was acting in a haphazard matter as the nuclear debate required preparation. "It is clear that government is acting under pressure," said a BJP leader.
The Left's position made it difficult for government to push the debate, which could severely expose faultiness between UPA and its allies, to the end of the monsoon session.
While government is also well primed for the debate having given its lead speakers like Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal plenty of "ammunition" in terms of the deal's purported benefits, it has been a little chary of the UPA-Left divisions showing up.
All this led Mukherjee to walk across to the office of Leader of Opposition L K Advani on Wednesday afternoon for a long chat.
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The 40-minute discussions saw Mukherjee explain that government could not accede to the NDA demand for a joint parliamentary committee to examine the nuclear deal.
On his part, Advani said that if a UPA-Left panel could look at the deal after it had been approved by Cabinet, there was no reason why a JPC could not be set up.
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After the meeting, Advani said Mukherjee's views would be considered by NDA. He told TOI that there had no discussion on Parliament adjourning sine die and that Mukherjee had not brought forward any such proposal.
Later, BJP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj also said that there had been no discussions on any move to curtail Parliament as yet.
Yechury also said that Left very much wanted Parliament to function. Government, too, is keen to make a few points on Sachar Commission and the nuclear deal.
For the Left, the debate in nuclear deal will give it an opportunity to argue that it was not engaged in any toppling game with regard to the government and that its opposition to the pact was not unreasoned.
The view in the Left is that the media has given it the short shrift and a debate in will provide an opportunity to set the record straight as far as the Left parties were concerned.
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