The government and the opposition appeared headed for a showdown during the monsoon session of parliament that begins on Tuesday, with the opposition warning of disruptions, and the government saying it will give an equally aggressive response.
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The government and main opposition Congress have locked horns over the controversies surrounding Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje on Lalit Modi issue and Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Vyapam scam, setting the stage for confrontation in Parliament.
The indications of the looming showdown in parliament emerged on Monday after an all-party meeting convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu when the government ruled out the resignation of anyone. From where did the question of resignation arise? “No one has done anything illegal or immoral”. “There is no question of accepting any ultimatum from anybody”, he asserted. Modi also met party leaders and ministers on Sunday. “Passing the bills would (then) become very easy”, he said.
The Congress has been seeking the resignations of Sushma Swaraj and Raje over their alleged links with former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi, and of Chouhan over the Vyapam recruitment scam. Nobody can dictate terms to the government. “It needs serious consideration if matters related to states are to be taken up in Parliament”.
“We are happy that 14 months after government formation, the Prime Minister has called a meeting of the NDA”, said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rout.
“We should move ahead of the land bill”. The Opposition has slammed the bill as an attempt to acquire land for industrial houses. The government has denied the charge.
The meeting discussed the strategy for the session as opposition parties Congress and the Left have closed their ranks against the government on various issues including the Vyapam scam and the Lalit Modi controversy.
Even though nearly everybody in the opposition demanded Modi’s reaction on the allegations against Sushma Swaraj, he has chosen to remain silent ever since the details emerged.
Curiously, he quoted the Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav, who had said that collective efforts were required for the effective functioning of the opposition.
The meeting was attended by Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress, Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Sharad Yadav of JD (U), Satish Mishra of BSP and Sitaram Yechury of CPI (M) among others.
Faced with an unrelenting Congress attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday got the backing of all the NDA constituents but they demanded better coordination in the alliance and sought the appointment of a convenor. The same happened with the Industrial Disputes (Amendment) Ordinance, 1996, the Arbitration and Conciliation Ordinance, 1996 and The Depository Ordinance, 1996 which were promulgated twice by the Rao government and once more by the Deve Gowda dispensation, which succeeded him.
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“The minimum action is removal all those, particularly the three, who are involved in Lalitgate, including Rajasthan chief Minister, other MP and Union Minister and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and two ministers of Maharasthra”, Azad told reporters when asked what is the minimum action by the Prime Minister which will satisfy his party. “China has 2 crore people working as apprentices, 1 crore in Japan, but only 30 lakh in India”.
