Done Negotiating, Says Government on Hate Speech Impasse

New Delhi: The government has made it clear that it will not negotiate anymore with the opposition to find a truce that will allow Parliament to get back to work. This entire week, both houses have been virtually paralysed with the opposition insisting on the removal of a minister who made a hate speech in Delhi on Sunday.

The government has made it clear that will not happen. The Prime Minister, in statements to both houses, has said, "This minister is new, she has entered Parliament for the first time. She has apologised."

Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, 47, offered her apology on Tuesday to lawmakers, but the opposition says her hate remarks violate the Constitution and she must be fired.

Sources in the government say that the opposition's pre-conditions for allowing Parliament to function have been met, but that the list keeps expanding.  

"They wanted the PM to make a statement and he did that. They said PM was not to be seen and he was there," Venkaiah Naidu, senior BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister said. "If they don't come, we will continue to work," he said.

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The Lok Sabha, where the government is in a majority, has been functioning, though with interruptions and frequent adjournments.

An aggressive and united opposition has cornered the government in the Rajya Sabha or Upper House, where it is in a minority. Nine major parties there say a resolution should be adopted, condemning Ms Jyoti's remarks. If this is done, a statement from them said, the impasse would end. Sources in the government have said that is not a permissible compromise.

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