Narayanasamy confident of getting Mulayam's support on Food Security Bill

Amid the ongoing war of words on the matter concerning suspension of Uttar Pradesh Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) Durga Shakti Nagal, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy on Monday expressed confidence that the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) would support the ordinance on Food Security Bill.

"I would not like to comment on statement made by an individual leader. The government earlier had talks with the Samajwadi Party leader. So, I am confident that the Samajwadi Party will stand with us and help in the passage of the Food Security Bill," Narayanasamy told Asian News International (ANI) here.

Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal had earlier said this party would corner and oppose the government in the Monsoon Session.

"And as Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) has said, we will also vote against the food bill in its present form," he said.

The Samajwadi Party's opposition has intensified following Congress President Sonia Gandhi's letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh asking him to ensure that the suspended bureaucrat is treated fairly.

The Congress Party yesterday hit out at the Samajwadi Party for attacking Sonia Gandhi for her support to Nagpal, and said the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh is trying to hide what is essentially a case of corruption and illegal mining.

Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit also dismissed Samajwadi Party's comments that Gandhi should also write a letter in support of Ashok Khemka, the Haryana IAS officer who had scrapped her son-in-law Robert Vadra's controversial land deals and was transferred.

Nagpal was suspended last month ostensibly for taking on the sand mafia and for ordering the demolition of a wall of a mosque that was being built on government land in the state's Gautam Buddh Nagar District, where she was posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

The Prime Minister had earlier on Saturday said that he looks forward to very constructive and productive Monsoon Session of Parliament, and urged the opposition to cooperate with the government in passing the essential legislative work, including the Food Security Bill.

"We look forward to a very constructive, productive session of Parliament. Lot of time was wasted in previous two or three sessions and there is lot of legislative agenda pending before the Congress, before the Parliament. And I sincerely hope that all sections of the house will cooperate in making it a very productive, very constructive session," Dr. Singh said.

The Prime Minister, who was talking to media here after the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, said the government on its part is willing to discuss any issue which may agitate the opposition.

"But all that we expect fully is to ask the opposition to cooperate with the government in passing the essential legislative work, which is the primary responsibility of Parliament. Of all the ordinances, five or six ordinances which are before the Parliament and most important is Food Security Ordinance," said Dr. Singh.

"And I sincerely hope that the Parliament in its wisdom will find it productive, find it justified to convert that Ordinance into a Bill and an act of Parliament," he added.

The Food Security Ordinance is among several important bills to be taken up for discussion and passage in the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning today.