Aggressive BJP to corner Govt over Lokpal Bill

The opposition BJP moved a motion for suspension of Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha for discussion on Lokpal Bill.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: The second day of Parliament’s Budget Session on Tuesday is expected to be stormy with the opposition BJP moving a motion for suspension of Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha for discussion on Lokpal Bill.

The Upper House was, meanwhile, adjourned till noon after opposition uproar over government`s stand on atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils.

The DMK, AIADMK and Left parties had moved notices for suspension of the Question Hour to discuss atrocities on Sri Lankan Tamils.

The motion concerning Lokpal Bill, moved by Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House Arun Jaitley, comes after the government stated that it plans to take up the Bill in the second part of the Budget Session beginning April 24.

The BJP is however demanding a discussion on the issue today itself, saying it wants an “adequate reply” from the government.

Discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to Parliament is on the agenda for today.

The Lok Sabha had cleared the Lokpal Bill on December 27 in the extended Winter Session. However, the Bill couldn`t be passed in the Rajya Sabha and both sides accused each other of choreographing chaos to scuttle the legislation.

In his customary eve-of-the-session media interaction, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had said that the government has "very little time" for legislative business in the first part of the session inspite of the fact that 39 bills are listed for consideration and passing, including the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, which has been approved by the Lok Sabha.

Soon after the BJP`s threat to take up the Lokpal issue, Congress president Sonia Gandhi held consultations with her senior colleagues.

Those present included Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Bansal, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and Political Secretary to Congress President Ahmad Patel.

Mukherjee also held a meeting with BJP leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Yashwant Sinha.

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