BJP in Catch-22 position
6 Aug 2013 4:30 AM IST
As on Monday the Monsoon session begins, 44 bills have been listed for the 16 working days available. The important bills like the food security bill, land acquisition bill, those related to reforms in the insurance and pension sectors and an amendment to the RTI, have all been lined up for this session of the Parliament.
However, unlike the previous Budget session one could anticipate less disruptions in the Parliament, one of the reasons for this is that the opposition itself does not want to be seen opposing a pro-people food bill.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has earlier stated that it does not oppose the bill in principle but would like few amendments proposed by them to be incorporated in the bill.
‘In principle, we are in agreement with this (food) bill, but we have a lot to say. There is a Chhattisgarh model, then there is the interest of the farmers...we have to put in a lot of suggestions, amendments,’ said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, after a strategy the meeting of BJP. Prasad said there were several concerns, including what would happen to the existing PDS system and the financial implications of implementing the new law.
The two-hour long meeting was chaired by BJP leader LK Advani and was attended by BJP president Rajnath Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley and other senior party leaders.
BJP leaders had held a meeting on Saturday with finance minister P Chidambaram where financial bills that have been listed for consideration during the session were discussed. The BJP leaders agreed to support routine and necessary financial business, but indicated that the party will continue to oppose further opening of the insurance and pension sectors to foreign direct investment (FDI).
At the strategy meet of BJP, the Telangana issue was also discussed, especially the unrest in Andhra region, Prasad said, adding, the Congress decision would be raised in Parliament. ‘Congress has mishandled the issue, it has done it for political considerations as the elections are near,’ he said.
The BJP leader said that when Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were created during the NDA regime, widest possible consultations were held with all political parties and a peaceful way was charted out for their creation. ‘BJP will make an honest effort to fully cooperate in smooth functioning of Parliament, Prasad said.
However, unlike the previous Budget session one could anticipate less disruptions in the Parliament, one of the reasons for this is that the opposition itself does not want to be seen opposing a pro-people food bill.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has earlier stated that it does not oppose the bill in principle but would like few amendments proposed by them to be incorporated in the bill.
‘In principle, we are in agreement with this (food) bill, but we have a lot to say. There is a Chhattisgarh model, then there is the interest of the farmers...we have to put in a lot of suggestions, amendments,’ said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, after a strategy the meeting of BJP. Prasad said there were several concerns, including what would happen to the existing PDS system and the financial implications of implementing the new law.
The two-hour long meeting was chaired by BJP leader LK Advani and was attended by BJP president Rajnath Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley and other senior party leaders.
BJP leaders had held a meeting on Saturday with finance minister P Chidambaram where financial bills that have been listed for consideration during the session were discussed. The BJP leaders agreed to support routine and necessary financial business, but indicated that the party will continue to oppose further opening of the insurance and pension sectors to foreign direct investment (FDI).
At the strategy meet of BJP, the Telangana issue was also discussed, especially the unrest in Andhra region, Prasad said, adding, the Congress decision would be raised in Parliament. ‘Congress has mishandled the issue, it has done it for political considerations as the elections are near,’ he said.
The BJP leader said that when Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were created during the NDA regime, widest possible consultations were held with all political parties and a peaceful way was charted out for their creation. ‘BJP will make an honest effort to fully cooperate in smooth functioning of Parliament, Prasad said.
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