This Article is From Apr 22, 2013

Budget session of Parliament resumes today, Opposition set to target government on 2G, coal scam

Budget session of Parliament resumes today, Opposition set to target government on 2G, coal scam
New Delhi: The Opposition is all set to corner the government in the Budget Session of Parliament which resumes on Monday after a recess. The BJP is likely to raise the issue of the vetting of the CBI report on coal scam by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and the Joint Parliamentary Committee report on the 2G scam which it calls a "deliberate leak".

The BJP has been demanding resignation of the Law Minister over his alleged interference in the coal report.

The Opposition has alleged that the scam goes right up to the doorstep of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and it would not let go this opportunity to put the government on the mat.

The Opposition also alleges that the JPC report is a "cover up" and has been prepared to give a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Political temperatures are high with former telecom minister A Raja claiming that all decisions on the 2G spectrum issue were taken in consultation with the Prime Minister and BJP accusing JPC Chairman P C Chacko of trying to save the government.

Mr Raja is the main accused in the scam and had sought an opportunity to depose before the JPC, which was denied. He is from the DMK, which parted ways with UPA recently.

The BJP has also expressed its anger over serious allegations made against former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Jaswant Singh and Arun Shourie. Calling the report an "act of unmatched perfidy", Mr Advani said on Saturday, "The NDA condemns the report and appeals to all members of the JPC to reject it."

Left parties are also unhappy with the report and have decided to vent their displeasure in Parliament.

The brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Delhi is also likely to be raised, with BJP leader Sushma Swaraj demanding capital punishment in child rape cases and in cases involving brutality and barbarity while making the new anti-rape law more stringent.

The government needs Opposition's help in passage of some key bills like the Food Security Bill, Insurance and Pensions Bills that the UPA is hoping to push through during the remaining part of the session which is scheduled to end on May 10.

In a bid to ensure smooth running of the session, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has warned political parties against disrupting proceedings and suggested that members who rush into the well of the House be publically named. (Read)

Mr Ansari's strong remarks came at an all-party meeting called to discuss how Rajya Sabha can do business without disruptions.
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