Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: The UPA government squarely blamed the BJP for the failure to get the Lokpal Bill passed in the Parliament.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan kumar Bansal said that the government had wanted to table the debate in the Rajya Sabha on December 28 but the BJP didn’t agree to it.
“The minister was replying to the debate, suddenly a ruckus was created at 11.30 pm, leading to the adjournment till 11.45 pm. The house had to be adjourned at 12 midnight,” he said clarifying the government’s stand.
Bansal said that the bill is pending in the register of the Rajya Sabha and would be taken up when the house reconvenes for the Budget Session.
“They (BJP) are guilty of stalling proceeding for the simple reasons that they didn’t want it to be passed. As many as 180 amendments were passed and some of them are self contradictory,” he said.
Bansal said that even if the bill were to be passed with amendments, the bill had to be sent back to the Lok Sabha – and the lower house was already adjourned sine dine.
“The law dept fine tunes these amendments as they are to be part of the law. There had to be time with the government to consider the amendments…Suppose an amendment was to be carried, the minister will have to rise and say that the bill as amended is passed. Can any govt do it?” he added.
“187 amendments have been moved. If all amendments had to be passed then it will take time. It is the government’s responsibility to pass the bill,” Bansal said.
