New Delhi:
After revelations by WikiLeaks of Congress buying MPs to win the vote-of-confidence over the crucial Indo-US nuclear deal in 2008, the Opposition is clearly in mood to tone down its blistering attack against the government.
There was chaos in Parliament today as BJP leader Sushma Swaraj moved the privilege motion against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for allegedly "misleading" the House by claiming that MPs were not bribed during the July 2008 trust vote. (Read - WikiLeaks: Congress bought MPs for trust vote over nuclear deal)
The BJP insisted that Dr Singh's stand is different from the findings of the Lok Sabha committee, headed by Congress MP KCS Deo, that was set up to examine the allegations in the cash-for-votes scam.
There were heated exchanges and angry voices in the Lok Sabha with the BJP and Left both demanding an immediate discussion on the Prime Minister's statement on the matter.
In a statement in Parliament last week, Dr Singh had said that allegations of bribery were being investigated and the K C Deo committee had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to conclude bribery.
The Opposition however, points out that the Deo panel report had said that former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's aide Sanjeev Saxena was a bribe giver and was caught on camera giving money to a BJP MP.
The K C Deo panel had concluded that no case of bribery could be made out as three BJP members had voted as per the party whip.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments and the Lok Sabha one as an aggressive Opposition insisted on taking up the debate straightaway even as the government pleaded that the Finance Bill be taken up first in the Lok Sabha.
"I do not think heaven is going to fall if we take up the Finance Bill first. I assure you that we will have the discussion after the Finance Bill is passed. I am not making it a prestige issue," said Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee.
The BJP finally walked out of Lok Sabha after the Chair disallowed a discussion on WikiLeaks ahead of discussion on Finance Bill.
The WikiLeaks cable - released last week- unleashed a high-volume new political controversy. The cable suggests that the Congress bought the support of MPs during a vote of confidence in 2008.
Three BJP MPs walked into the Lok Sabha with cash that they said added upto three crores. They claimed that that they had been offered this money to vote for the nuclear deal and had planned a sting operation to prove this.
A Lok Sabha committee, headed by Congress MP KCS Deo, was set up to examine their allegations, but found that there was no evidence of the BJP's claims. Mr Deo told NDTV that he does not believe the WikiLeaks revelation merits a re-examination of what transpired.
(Read & watch: Cash-for-votes cables are authentic, Assange tells NDTV)
There was chaos in Parliament today as BJP leader Sushma Swaraj moved the privilege motion against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for allegedly "misleading" the House by claiming that MPs were not bribed during the July 2008 trust vote. (Read - WikiLeaks: Congress bought MPs for trust vote over nuclear deal)
The BJP insisted that Dr Singh's stand is different from the findings of the Lok Sabha committee, headed by Congress MP KCS Deo, that was set up to examine the allegations in the cash-for-votes scam.
There were heated exchanges and angry voices in the Lok Sabha with the BJP and Left both demanding an immediate discussion on the Prime Minister's statement on the matter.
In a statement in Parliament last week, Dr Singh had said that allegations of bribery were being investigated and the K C Deo committee had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to conclude bribery.
The Opposition however, points out that the Deo panel report had said that former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's aide Sanjeev Saxena was a bribe giver and was caught on camera giving money to a BJP MP.
The K C Deo panel had concluded that no case of bribery could be made out as three BJP members had voted as per the party whip.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments and the Lok Sabha one as an aggressive Opposition insisted on taking up the debate straightaway even as the government pleaded that the Finance Bill be taken up first in the Lok Sabha.
"I do not think heaven is going to fall if we take up the Finance Bill first. I assure you that we will have the discussion after the Finance Bill is passed. I am not making it a prestige issue," said Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee.
The BJP finally walked out of Lok Sabha after the Chair disallowed a discussion on WikiLeaks ahead of discussion on Finance Bill.
The WikiLeaks cable - released last week- unleashed a high-volume new political controversy. The cable suggests that the Congress bought the support of MPs during a vote of confidence in 2008.
Three BJP MPs walked into the Lok Sabha with cash that they said added upto three crores. They claimed that that they had been offered this money to vote for the nuclear deal and had planned a sting operation to prove this.
A Lok Sabha committee, headed by Congress MP KCS Deo, was set up to examine their allegations, but found that there was no evidence of the BJP's claims. Mr Deo told NDTV that he does not believe the WikiLeaks revelation merits a re-examination of what transpired.
(Read & watch: Cash-for-votes cables are authentic, Assange tells NDTV)
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