Lokpal:Khurshid favours reaching out to Opposition

Law Minister Salman Khurshid has favoured reaching out to the Opposition as also allies on the issue of Lokpal.

New Delhi: Law Minister Salman Khurshid has
favoured reaching out to the Opposition as also allies on the
issue of Lokpal and other issues and dismissed suggestions
that Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee was a
`difficult customer`.

Even as the slugfest continued between the Congress and
the BJP over the Lokpal Bill getting stuck in the Rajya Sabha,
Khurshid said the government should reach out to the
Opposition on a priority basis.

"... I think we should now make that a priority reaching
out to Opposition because there are many issues on which they
share our concerns. They should not just hold back because
they believe holding back gives them an advantage... we should
convince them about this," he said.

Talking to Karan Thapar on `India Tonight` programme on
CNBC, Khurshid also said that "genuine concerns" of UPA`s
allies should be addressed.

"Then we have our own allies as well who have genuine
concern and I think we should address those genuine concerns.
We can find a solution...," he said.

When asked whether government will find it difficult to
reach out to BJP as most in Congress think of that party as
`political pariahs`, he said "if you live in the same house,
you will stop thinking of pariahs. And we are in the same
house."

"We have to shake hands, we have to get our eyeballs
meet. We have helped them and they have helped us in matters
that are of critical importance to the country," he said
adding that during a war, parties do not score political
points over each other.

PTI

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