Parliament’s smooth functioning government’s responsibility: BJP (Lead)

November 23rd, 2011 - 7:06 pm ICT by IANS  

Bharatiya Janata Party New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) The stand-off in parliament seems unlikely to be resolved soon with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday maintaining that the government was responsible for the smooth functioning of parliament which it threatened to disrupt till the government agrees to debate “burning issues” of price rise, corruption and black money.

“We want to clarify our position… it is the government’s responsibility to run parliament,” BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia told reporters, seeking to refute charges that the party was not allowing the parliament to run.

“Our demands are not illegal. Rules allow adjournment motions in the houses to pave way for discussion by voting. If the government doesn’t want the discussion, it should be held responsible for the disruptions (of parliament),” he said.

Ahluwalia said the BJP has an agreement with the Left parties on holding debates under rules which entail voting on issues of price rise and black money.

“We had briefed the government in a meeting before the winter session started that we want a discussion on these issues,”he said.

He said as per the informal agreement with the Left parties, the BJP would support their adjournment motion on price rise issue in the Lok Sabha under Rules 56-63 and in the Rajya Sabha under Rule 167, which entail voting.

The Left parties, he claimed, would support the BJP adjournment motion on the issue of black money already moved by the party in both the houses.

“The government does not want this,” said Ahluwalia, adding that they want a discussion under Rule 193, which does not mandate voting.

Ahluwalia said the BJP did not want a crack in opposition unity on the two issues at the moment, but will go ahead with its adjournment motion, with or without the Left’s support.

Noting that the price rise issue was affecting the common man, Ahluwalia said there have been many discussions on it in parliament in the past but nothing has happened.

He said a resolution to curb prices was passed in the last session but the government has not followed it up with any action.

The BJP had Wednesday morning given fresh notice to adjourn the Question Hour and take up a debate on the price rise issue.

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