Congress duped Nation: Ran away without passing Lokpal Bill in RS

Source: News Bharati    
  

New Delhi, December 30: It’s a run away by the unconcerned, non serious and adamant ruling Congress Party which tabled a weak lopal bill and begged or challenged others to pass it saying that it is the strongest. Whole day after the Lokpal bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, Congress party managed to create an image of self that it was the only entity which is worrying for a strong Lokpal for the Nation. Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi even challenged the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to either help government to pass the bill or declare that the BJP is not in favour of a strong Lokpal.

The Lokpal Bill yet again failed to get Parliament’s nod when Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die last night abruptly amid high drama and the government of running away from a vote because it was in a minority.

The congress party tried erntire day to The Lokpal Bill, who was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after failed moves in 43 years, appeared jinxed when it seemed that the government was not able to muster a simple majority required for its passage. The Bill had seen eight attempts earlier since 1968.

The institution of a Lokpal temporarily expired amid the noisy expiry of the extended session of the Rajya Sabha at midnight. The Opposition, empowered by the sense that it had the numbers to embarrass the government, said it was willing to “sit all night and even tomorrow” but the government cited “constitutional propriety” and begged off.

Just before the inconclusive and chaotic end became imminent, the leader of Opposition in the upper House, Arun Jaitley, exhorted chairman Ansari to take a call and extend proceedings so the Lokpal exercise could be concluded. But even as he spoke, Jaitley was convinced the end had already come. “It is an irony,” he said, “that even though I am leader of the Opposition, I speak for the majority of the House. A government that runs away from legislation in Parliament has no right to remain in power even for a minute.”

Trinamool Congress and parties like BJP and Left parties had moved amendments for deletion of Part III of the Bill related to appointment of Lokayukta in states. The BJP and the Left also wanted the CBI to be part of Lokpal.

The government tried to persuade the allies and outside supporters to avoid a vote which looked it was sure to lose.

And when the time for voting came, parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal suddenly came up with a request to the chair for time to consider 187 amendments moved by the MPs.

Smelling a rat in the government strategy, leader of opposition Arun Jaitley said the government was running away from the House because it was in a “hopeless minority”.

“A government which did not have the numbers in the House has consciously first choreographed a debate so that it cannot not be concluded before the 12 O’ clock,” he said.

Mr Jaitley told Mr Bansal that they will sit the whole night to transact the Bill. He said the government has “no right to continue in office even for a minute”.

At midnight, the already extended session had permission from the President to run only till the end of calendar date December 29, the chairman of the House, Hamid Ansari, took into account the “unprecedented situation” where “everybody was trying to outshout everybody else” and decided to adjourn the Rajya Sabha indefinitely.

The Trinamool Congress, a UPA constituent which had moved a slew of amendments and gave the government burning time when it vowed to vote against the bill, called the adjournment an “orchestrated chaos”, almost echoing the opposition view.

The problems of the ruling coalition, which has 93 members in a 243-member House, grew after one of its constituents Trinamool Congress (6) and outside supporters BSP (18), SP (6) and RJD (4) made it clear that they will vote against the Bill.

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