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No JPC on nuclear deal, says Pranab
“Ready for debate in Rajya Sabha today”
There was no meeting ground in sight on the nuclear deal, with the National Democratic Alliance on Wednesday sticking to its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee and the government rejecting it as being against all parliamentary rules and not in conformity with the Constitutions. At, the same time, the government indicated that it was ready to debate the deal in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, several days earlier than planned, and in the Lok Sabha on September 10.
After Parliament was repeatedly disrupted by the NDA, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met the leaders of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, L. K. Advani and Jaswant Singh. The BJP leaders reiterated their demand, and Mr. Mukherjee firmly said there was no question of the Government conceding it. He had already rejected it on the floor of the Lok Sabha.
Ready to clear doubts
It seems Mr. Mukherjee also offered to discuss with the BJP any aspect of the nuclear deal it might seek clarification on. The Government was willing to sit with the party’s representatives ” in camera ” to clear their doubts. The mechanism set up between the United Progressive Alliance and the Left was not a government committee, but an internal mechanism of the ruling coalition and its supporting parties. Separately, Parliamentrry Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasamuni noted that in a ruling given by the Lok Sabha Speaker on August 17, the Opposition demand for a discussion under a substantive motion was rejected. The Speaker stated that disapproval of the Indo-U. S. nuclear agreement was, in his opinion, ” not within the competence of the House. ” Mr. Dasumunsi said: “How can there be a JPC on an issue, which is not with in the competence of the House? ” Both Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Dasumunsi indicated separately that the government had “requested” the Rajya Sabha Chairman to list the debate on the nuclear deal for “tomorrow” (September 6) while the discussion in the Lok Sabha could take place, as earlier planned, on September 10.
Parliament proceedings held up for whole day
Unrelenting Opposition demands JPC on nuclear deal
The Opposition held up proceedings in both Houses of Parliament for the entire day on Wednesday in protest against the setting up of the UPA – Left Committee to study the implications of the India – U. S. nuclear deal. Entering the well, the Opposition members demanded that a Joint Parliamentary Committee be formed, saying the deal was not issue among a few parties but a national issue which should be put under the scrutiny of Parliament. With the government and Left parties refusing to yield on the issue, both Houses saw several adjournments amid slogan shouting. The Lok Sabha met thrice, each time adjourning within minutes as both sides stuck to their guns. The Opposition had given notices for suspension of question hour but Speaker Somnath Chatterjee rejected them stating the issue could be raised immediately afterwards. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were present. With the Opposition – including the Shiv Sena – unrelenting, the Lok Sabha saw two quick adjournments before lunch. When it met in the afternoon, the only business that could be transected for the day. The Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day soon after lunch break as the Opposition kept up its tempo of protest.
Stormy note
The proceedings began on a stormy note but Chairman Hamid insisted that question hour must have priority and conducted the proceedings amid the din for 40 minutes before adjourning the House for 10 minutes as his repeated pleas to their seats had no effect. The Opposition protest saw N. Jothi (AIADMK) and his colleague squatting in the well, while senior leaders including Yashwant Sinha and Murli Manohar Joshi of the Bharatiya Janata Party began thumping their desks. The second adjournment took place after five minutes and the third immediately after Deputy Chairman K. Rehman Khan replaced Mr. Ansari in the chair. The final adjournment for the day came within 10 minutes of the House reconvening lunch.