Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: With just a week left before the Parliament reconvenes for the Budget Session, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Wednesday, met BJP leaders
Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley apparently to end the logjam over
formation of JPC to probe 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Today’s meeting is significant as there have been signals suggesting a thaw in the belligerent stand maintained by both sides. Pranab had also met senior BJP leader LK Advani, Monday, over the issue.
Moreover, during an all-party meeting earlier this month, Mukherjee
had given a clear hint about government`s intention on the JPC
issue by significantly remarking: "No price is high for
restoring the functioning of Parliament".
But sticking points remain: The BJP led-NDA has been pressing for a JPC probe into the three scams related to 2G spectrum allocation, Adarsh Housing Society and Commonwealth Games preparations, while the government, after rejecting it all along, seems willing to consider a parliamentary probe only into the 2G scam.
Moreover, Advani’s open attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – during a rally in Kolkata, yesterday, he said that sympathised with the PM and described him as weak – has not gone done well with the Congress, forcing it to take a step or two backwards.
Besides the NDA, the Left parties have also been doggedly pestering for constituting a JPCm while clarifying that they are in favour of Parliament to run, but the onus of creating a conducive situation is on the government.
The entire Winter Session was ruined as both Houses of Parliament witnessed proceedings being stalled for weeks with the Opposition refusing to let normal business pass till the JPC demand was accepted.
