New Delhi:
The Winter Session of Parliament may have been hijacked by Opposition's protests over the 2G scam, but it seems the government is trying various formulas to break the deadlock. The latest alternative that is being mulled by the government is a special session of Parliament - a short session of just five days that would allow members to discuss the 2G spectrum allocation scandal. (Read: What is the 2G spectrum scam?) | (Read: 21 days, 146 crores, zero work in Parliament)
"Pranab Mukherjee said this sometime back at a public function. He is a senior leader and has thought this through. We are ready to have a special session for one day, two days, even five days. Parliament is meant for discussions. It is now for them to respond. No tentative dates as of now. The Opposition has to decide first," said Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pawan Kumar Bansal.
But the Opposition says the time to talk is long gone and it is time for action now. "We have done a lot of talking. Now it is time for action," said BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman. She said the BJP wanted to the government to act. "He's saying that he will have a special session of Parliament for discussing the issue. We are looking for positive action. A call for discussion again, at least instantly, looks as being very redundant," Sitharaman said. "There is nothing new in government's offer of special session on 2G. JPC is a reasonable demand. The government should not shy away from it," added CPI leader D Raja.
UPA ally, the NCP, towed the government line. It said the government is giving the Opposition another opportunity and they must accept it. "The need for a JPC probe into the 2G scam has to be explained," said Tariq Anwar of the NCP. (Watch)
The Opposition, however, maintains that nothing short of a JPC will do. It has already turned down all the other alternatives that the government has suggested like the Prime Minister appearing before the Public Accounts Committee or a multi-disciplinary probe.
By extending the offer of a special session of Parliament to the Opposition, the government tried to send out a message that it is not fighting shy of discussing the thorny issue of the 2G scam. By doing so, they have also lobbed the ball back in the Opposition's court. But for now, the Opposition has raised the stakes by threatening to continue their agitation till the Budget Session.
The 2G scam has been used by the Opposition to attack the government and in particular the Prime Minister for shielding corruption. The Opposition wants a JPC, which would consist of members of different political parties, to conduct a formal inquiry into the scam. However, the government has so far maintained that this is not required because several inquiries by the CBI and agencies like the Enforcement Directorate are already in progress.
On Wednesday at a massive rally in Delhi, the BJP backed by some of its allies shared its agenda. "The campaign against corruption is in a way a campaign against the Prime Minister," said senior BJP leader LK Advani. The BJP plans a series of rallies across the country to push one point - a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G spectrum scam. (Read: Will target PM in anti-corruption campaign, says BJP)
"Pranab Mukherjee said this sometime back at a public function. He is a senior leader and has thought this through. We are ready to have a special session for one day, two days, even five days. Parliament is meant for discussions. It is now for them to respond. No tentative dates as of now. The Opposition has to decide first," said Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pawan Kumar Bansal.
But the Opposition says the time to talk is long gone and it is time for action now. "We have done a lot of talking. Now it is time for action," said BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman. She said the BJP wanted to the government to act. "He's saying that he will have a special session of Parliament for discussing the issue. We are looking for positive action. A call for discussion again, at least instantly, looks as being very redundant," Sitharaman said. "There is nothing new in government's offer of special session on 2G. JPC is a reasonable demand. The government should not shy away from it," added CPI leader D Raja.
UPA ally, the NCP, towed the government line. It said the government is giving the Opposition another opportunity and they must accept it. "The need for a JPC probe into the 2G scam has to be explained," said Tariq Anwar of the NCP. (Watch)
The Opposition, however, maintains that nothing short of a JPC will do. It has already turned down all the other alternatives that the government has suggested like the Prime Minister appearing before the Public Accounts Committee or a multi-disciplinary probe.
By extending the offer of a special session of Parliament to the Opposition, the government tried to send out a message that it is not fighting shy of discussing the thorny issue of the 2G scam. By doing so, they have also lobbed the ball back in the Opposition's court. But for now, the Opposition has raised the stakes by threatening to continue their agitation till the Budget Session.
The 2G scam has been used by the Opposition to attack the government and in particular the Prime Minister for shielding corruption. The Opposition wants a JPC, which would consist of members of different political parties, to conduct a formal inquiry into the scam. However, the government has so far maintained that this is not required because several inquiries by the CBI and agencies like the Enforcement Directorate are already in progress.
On Wednesday at a massive rally in Delhi, the BJP backed by some of its allies shared its agenda. "The campaign against corruption is in a way a campaign against the Prime Minister," said senior BJP leader LK Advani. The BJP plans a series of rallies across the country to push one point - a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G spectrum scam. (Read: Will target PM in anti-corruption campaign, says BJP)
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