Parliament session: PM hopes Telangana bill will be passed

NEW DELHI: On the eve of Parliament session, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government is ready to discuss any issue that members may raise and hoped the crucial Telangana bill would be passed even as the Opposition asked the ruling party not to give "sermons".

"Of course, there is the vital issue of Telangana. We will be bringing the bill before Parliament," Singh told reporters after an all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar to ensure smooth functioning of the House. "I sincerely hope that after a long debate spreading over many years, the House will in its wisdom will be able to transact the business and pass the bill," he added.

Noting that there are many important legislations pending including anti-corruption measures, Women's Reservation Bill and Communal Violence Bill, Singh said, "I sincerely hope that Parliament in its wisdom will transact the essential business which is the primary concern of any legislature in the Parliamentary democracy."

He said there will be an opportunity for Parliament, even on the vote on account, to discuss the issues which are agitating the MPs.

However, soon after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj exchanged barbs signalling that the 12-day session which will conclude on February 21 will not be a smooth affair and Telangana could be an issue of trouble.

While Nath sought "genuine and not half hearted" support of opposition on Telangana and anti-corruption bills, Swaraj wondered Congress is playing the politics of both support and opposition on Telangana with its Chief Minister