This Article is From Dec 04, 2016

For Rahul Gandhi's Speech On Notes Ban Debate, Congress May Ease Up: Sources

The final strategy, though, will be firmed up only on Monday morning (File Photo)

New Delhi: The two-week-long logjam in parliament over notes ban may witness a breakthrough on Monday.

Sources say the Congress -- which wants its vice president Rahul Gandhi to speak on the notes ban debate in Lok Sabha -- may not insist on an Adjournment motion, considered a great censure of the government.

The final strategy, though, will be firmed up only on Monday morning.

"The Opposition leaders are meeting tomorrow. We are keen that the debate concludes and takes forward the need to investigate and the need to establish accountability," senior Congress leader Anand Sharma told NDTV.

The Lok Sabha so far has been paralysed over the Opposition's insistence on bringing an Adjournment motion under rule 56. The government, which has agreed to a debate, has rejected the demand outright.

The Congress has now given notice for a debate under rule 184, which entails voting but is seen as a milder provision.

The government has overwhelming majority in the Lok Sabha to defeat any Opposition-sponsored resolution, but has avoided agreeing to a vote so far. "We don't want to send a signal to the people that parliament is divided in the fight against black money," explained a senior minister.

In Rajya Sabha, the government has already assured the Opposition of the Prime Minister's intervention in the debate.

The Upper House started the debate on November 16, the first day of the winter session. But it is yet to conclude as the Opposition insisted on the Prime Minister's presence.

"The Prime Minister must show respect and listen to the leaders of the House, must register our concerns and the sufferings that have been inflicted upon the citizens," Mr Sharma told NDTV. "Now, a great deal has been made of the Prime Minister's presence in Rajya Sabha. He has not done a favour as it is a duty to attend Parliament."

The BJP hit back, saying the Opposition was "finding lame excuses" to avoid a debate. "We have always been saying 'please start the discussion'. The people want to hear your version and our version," said Manoj Tiwari, the party's Delhi unit chief and a Lok Sabha member.

Mr Tiwari said members of the Treasury benches are ready to listen to Rahul Gandhi. "They keep citing one rule and then another to avoid the debate. The people are interested in the debate and not the rule," he said.
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