New Delhi: The cash-for-vote scam is expected
to cast its shadow on Parliament on Tuesday with the BJP
planning to move a privilege motion against Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh for allegedly misleading both Houses over the
WikiLeak expose.
Some Congress MPs are contemplating moving a breach of
privilege notice against Leader of the Opposition in the Lok
Sabha Sushma Swaraj for allegedly defying Speaker Meira Kumar
last week over the issue.
Discussion over the Finance Bill is scheduled in the Lok
Sabha tomorrow while Rajya Sabha will take up a calling
attention on nuclear safety in India in the wake of recent
disaster in Japan.
Parliament will meet tomorrow after an extended holiday
for Holi festival.
Government sources fear that the proceedings tomorrow
could be thrown out of gear in case of fresh uproar over the
WikiLeak issue.
In such a scenario, the Congress members could also
utilise the opportunity to hit back at BJP over its "double
standards" on the issue of Indo-US nuclear deal as revealed by
WikiLeak cables of 2008.
On the cash-for-vote scam, an assertive Prime Minister hit
back at the opposition last week for raising "old charges that
have been debated, discussed and rejected by the people of
India."
After the statement, BJP said it will move a privilege
motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for "misleading"
Parliament by saying that no bribe was paid to MPs, which, it
alleged, was contradictory to the findings of the
Parliamentary probe committee.
"The Prime Minister and the UPA Government were principal
beneficiaries of cross voting... The Prime Minister says he
was not aware (of bribe being paid). But he is definitely a
beneficiary. Under the law of jurisprudence, being a
beneficiary of this offence he is equally liable," Swaraj had
said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has
already dismissed charges that the Prime Minister has
committed any breach of privilege, insisting that "no part of
the statement is incorrect."
The notice for calling attention in the Rajya Sabha on
nuclear safety in India has been given by several members
including D Raja (CPI) and Rajiv Pratap Rudy (BJP).
The Prime Minister has already said that he has ordered an
immediate technical review of India`s atomic plants to check
if they can withstand the impact of major natural disasters
like tsunami and earthquakes in the wake of the catastrophe in
Japan threatening a nuclear meltdown.
The Finance Bill will be put for vote on Wednesday. This
is the last week of the Budget session which will conclude on
March 25.
PTI
