NEW Delhi, March 21 (PTI): 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 WikiLeaks 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 on Tuesday 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 on Tuesday 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.
Discussion over the Finance Bill is scheduled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday 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 on Tuesday 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.
BJP to move privilege motion against PM in LS
NEW Delhi, March 21 (PTI): BJP on Monday said it would move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Lok Sabha on Monday for “misleading” the house by claiming MPs were not bribed during the July 2008 trust vote even though the parliamentary probe committee said that money was paid. “BJP will move a privilege motion against the Prime Minister tomorrow in the Lok Sabha for misleading the house on the July 2008 trust vote. He (PM) said in the house last week that no bribe was paid while the Kishore Chandra Deo committee has clearly stated that bribe was paid,” party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj is likely to move the privilege motion. Incidentally, as a counter to this, the ruling Congress has declared it will move a privilege motion against Swaraj for allegedly defying Speaker Meira Kumar last week by trying to seek clarifications from the Prime Minister after his statement on the revelations made by WikiLeaks on the cash-for-vote scam. As per Parliament rules, clarifications cannot be sought from a minister or the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha after he/she makes a statement on the demand of the opposition. This provision is there only in the Rajya Sabha. BJP-led NDA will also demand a discussion in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193 (which does not entail voting). “Sushma Swaraj and Yashwant Sinha from the BJP and Sharad Yadav from JD(U) will demand discussion under Rule 193. If the government wants Lok Sabha to run, it would agree as soon as the house meets for the day,” Hussain said.
NEW Delhi, March 21 (PTI): BJP on Monday said it would move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Lok Sabha on Monday for “misleading” the house by claiming MPs were not bribed during the July 2008 trust vote even though the parliamentary probe committee said that money was paid. “BJP will move a privilege motion against the Prime Minister tomorrow in the Lok Sabha for misleading the house on the July 2008 trust vote. He (PM) said in the house last week that no bribe was paid while the Kishore Chandra Deo committee has clearly stated that bribe was paid,” party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj is likely to move the privilege motion. Incidentally, as a counter to this, the ruling Congress has declared it will move a privilege motion against Swaraj for allegedly defying Speaker Meira Kumar last week by trying to seek clarifications from the Prime Minister after his statement on the revelations made by WikiLeaks on the cash-for-vote scam. As per Parliament rules, clarifications cannot be sought from a minister or the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha after he/she makes a statement on the demand of the opposition. This provision is there only in the Rajya Sabha. BJP-led NDA will also demand a discussion in the Lok Sabha under Rule 193 (which does not entail voting). “Sushma Swaraj and Yashwant Sinha from the BJP and Sharad Yadav from JD(U) will demand discussion under Rule 193. If the government wants Lok Sabha to run, it would agree as soon as the house meets for the day,” Hussain said.
‘Leaked cables are exchanges culled out from diplomatic bag’
New Delhi, March 21 (PTI): External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna on Monday said the leaked American diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks are set of exchanges “culled out from the diplomatic bag” which were getting “wide publicity” in the country.
“We have always said that we are not going to comment upon WikiLeaks you know. They are culled out from the diplomatic bag as set of exchanges and then they are getting wide publicity. Government of India doesn’t believe in commenting upon them,” External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna told reporters in New Delhi. The Minister was asked to react on the latest WikiLeaks revelations suggesting that certain External Affairs Ministry officials were involved in passing information to the United States.
New Delhi, March 21 (PTI): External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna on Monday said the leaked American diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks are set of exchanges “culled out from the diplomatic bag” which were getting “wide publicity” in the country.
“We have always said that we are not going to comment upon WikiLeaks you know. They are culled out from the diplomatic bag as set of exchanges and then they are getting wide publicity. Government of India doesn’t believe in commenting upon them,” External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna told reporters in New Delhi. The Minister was asked to react on the latest WikiLeaks revelations suggesting that certain External Affairs Ministry officials were involved in passing information to the United States.
