We will decide whether to continue in joint panel or not: Sitaram Yechury

HYDERABAD: The CPI(M) today termed as "wrong" and "untenable" the re-promwulgation of the ordinance on land acquisition by the Centre when Joint Committee of Parliament was considering the amended bill, saying that the party would decide about whether it should continue in the panel at all.

When the parliamentary committee is examining the bill and continuing its work, to proclaim the ordinance once again is absolutely untenable constitutionally in a democracy, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said here today.

"Let it (the committee) examine the bill and come to its conclusions. Let it present its report to Parliament and let the Parliament decide. In the meanwhile, while this is going on, to proclaim the ordinance is completely untenable and it is wrong", Yechury said.

"We have to decide whether we should be in the committee or not under such circumstances. Our party will take a decision. We have to decide whether there is any meaning in participating in the Joint Parliamentary Committee," he said.

"This sort of an attack on parliamentary procedures, methods and parliamentary democracy itself is serious. It is an ominous sign", Yechury told reporters at a meet-the-media programme hosted by journalists' unions here.

He also said that opposition parties have to collectively or separately decide about whether they should or should not be part of the parliamentary panel.

Calling the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel as a "dangerous move", Yechury said that the trip would only give greater legitimacy to the Zionist state which is "illegally occupying Palestinian lands".

The CPI-M demanded that India should cease imports of military hardware and weapons from Israel or at least suspend it. He said that India is the largest buyer of Israeli military hardware in the world.

"What we buy from Israel provides profits which are used by Israel to attack the Palestinians," he said.