Third all-party meet fails to end Parliament deadlock

The third all-party meet, in as many weeks, today failed to end the Parliament logjam. While the government reiterated its stand for a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe into the 2G telecom scam, the opposition trained its guns and rejected the proposal outright. Parties demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the 2G scam, questioned how the government could decide on what the Supreme Court would do.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the government was not in favour of abruptly closing the Winter Session and insisted it would continue till its scheduled period (December 13). But sources in the Rajya Sabha indicated government managers may bring down the curtains to this session by December 8, after passing the Supplementary Demand for Grants.

The all-party meeting, convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, saw all opposition parties demanding a JPC probe. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked if the opposition would agree to a SC-monitored CBI probe.

The Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj asked how the government could decide or even suggest something entirely in the purview of the SC. “JPC will be under the Parliament with unlimited scope. The JPC can even call any minister if it wants to,” Swaraj said after the meeting.

She also made it clear that if the government doesn’t accept the demand for a JPC, the BJP will not allow the House to run.

The Speaker asked the opposition parties if they could allow at least the Question Hour to run. But the Opposition turned down the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Left parties, worried at the growing perception about their nexus with the BJP against the government, today led a delegation of 80 non-UPA, non-NDA MPs to President Pratibha Patil and requested her to advise the government to accept a JPC.

In the President’s office, ADMK leader Thambidurai (member of a Public Accounts Committee) said the term of the PAC is for just one year out of which almost six months have passed. “How can the PAC effectively probe the 2G scam?” said Thambidurai.

With the entire opposition adamant on a JPC, a senior Left leader admitted that the four Left parties are in the most precarious position. “On one side, we have raised the pitch so much that it was impossible to climb down from the demand for a JPC. On the other hand, our voters are thinking that we have joined hands with the BJP and acting against the government.”

The Third Front parties (non-NDA, non-UPA) will be meeting tomorrow to finalise their strategy after the failure of dialogues between the government and the Opposition.