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Sources disclosed here on Saturday that Mukherjee invited Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Janata Dal (U) president Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, CPM leader Basudeb Acharia, RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav and others for the meeting.
Sources said Mukherjee read out a draft formulation to know if it was acceptable to them to take up discussions in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The formulation is: “This House expresses concern at inflationary pressure on the economy and calls upon the government to contain its impact.” The leaders sought time to discuss the proposal among themselves and with their party colleagues. The draft is obviously far short of what the Opposition would want to censure the government for spiralling prices.
“It is a very a strange proposal,” a senior Opposition leader told The Sunday Express when asked whether it would be taken up under Rule 184 (with voting) or under Rule 193 (without voting) in the Lok Sabha. “The proposal mentions neither,” he said.
The idea was initially floated by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal, but the Opposition chose to wait for Mukherjee to take the initiative. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who is in Goa at the moment, is likely to supplement behind-the-scene efforts of Mukherjee.
Protests shouldn’t hinder work: Ansari
Concerned over regular disruption of House proceedings, Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari asked all MPs to see to it that their right to protest “does not become an impediment to their work”.
Ansari, who was addressing new Rajya Sabha MPs at an orientation at the Parliament House Annexe, said, “Much too often, we take the view that if we disrupt House proceedings, we will make our point. I am afraid, it does not work like that in the public.”
While acknowledging that protest is an “essential ingredient of democratic functioning”, he asked if it is “the only form of functioning”. The rule-book, he said, had numerous procedures. “Why don’t we use it more frequently?” he asked. “Protest in registering a point is well-made, but when it becomes habitual, loses its novelty, and, therefore, its effect,” he added.
PTI
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B.J.P SHOULD WORK AND PLAN TO DEFEAT THE GOVERMENT.
Man i cant feed myself properly i can not get to eat breakfast becoz of these damm high prises and the congress wants to buy you with a show of public relations exercise THIS IS A PROPAGANDA TO LOOK LIKE A NICE GUY WHOLE OF LAST WEEK THEY SAID THE OPP WAS DISRUPTING PARLIAMENT TODAY BREAKFAST IM TELLING CONGRESS STOP TRIVIALISING THE PRICE RISE ISSUE THIS IS WHAT ITS BEEN DOING THE LAST 6 YEARS LET THERE BE A VOTE
Strangely enough, for the opposition there is nothing else other than the issue of price rise; Kashmir, the Maoist threat, CWG, the Wikileaks just do not matter to them although this phase, with an invisible PM at the helm, is the most difficult for the country in the last two decades. There are many issues over which they can pull down the government and go for fresh elections if they have the guts. They must develop a strategy for taking advantage of these issues at a time of their choosing while the Congress continues to fail the people who had reposed trust in them. Dear BJP, look at the big picture, work to your advantage as the Congress unstoppably moves to commit harakiri, but please do not stall Parliament. You have and will have more ammo for winning the next elections even without these antics.
It is strange that while protesting against inflation in Parliament, the opposition leaders attended a breakfast meeting with Pranab Mukherji to discuss wording of a resolution. It is not clear that these leaders are interested to bring down inflation or self glorification.