New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday asked the government to convene an all-party meeting on the sugarcane pricing policy in the wake of opposition to the centre’s Fair and Remunerative Pricing (FRP) ordinance.
Party leader Sushma Swaraj said the government should call an all-party meeting on the issue. “The prime minister should call this meeting in which the agriculture minister should be present. We will give our suggestions,” she said, and also sought to refute allegations about the BJP’s opposition to the ordinance being linked to liabilities or dues of sugar mills.

“The government should understand the seriousness of the issue,” she said.

She said that BJP will raise the issue in both houses of Parliament Friday and again press for adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and seek suspension of question hour in the Rajya Sabha, as the government Thursday did not agree to their notice for adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha or to the suspension of question hour in the upper house.

The BJP leader also demanded that a parliamentary delegation should go to Sri Lanka in view of complaints of Sri Lankan Tamils.

She said that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, in their meeting Thursday, had decided to raise the issue of suffering of Sri Lankan Tamils.

The NDA has also decided to raise the issues of price rise, corruption in the wake of allegations against former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, spectrum scam, WTO negotiations, incursions by China and its remarks on Arunachal Pradesh.

With the anniversary of 26/11 falling during the session, the BJP-led front will also seek discussion on Indo-Pak relations and progress in the investigations into the Mumbai attack. She said the government was speaking in different voices on the issue of climate change and the party wants a discussion.

Asked if the BJP had initiated any move towards floor coordination among opposition parties on the issue of sugarcane pricing, she said that no formal meeting had been held though leaders had held individual meetings.

NDA convenor and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav had spoken to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav while Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh had spoken to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, she added.

To a query on the prime minister’s visits abroad during the session, Sushma Swaraj said that proper decorum was not to go during the session unless it is a major intenational conference.

“If he has decided the programme on his own, then it is dishonour to Parliament,” she said.