Advance monsoon session to debate bills: BJP

BJP chief Rajnath Singh says the party is ready for debate on food security and land acquisition bills

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants the monsoon session of Parliament to be advanced in order to debate and pass the food security and land acquisition bills with some amendments.

BJP president Rajnath Singh said the BJP was ready for debate on both the bills. "We want the bills to be passed with some amendments," he told reporters here Monday.

Voicing concern over the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's plan to bring ordinances to enact the legislation, he said the government should not play a cruel joke on the people.

Referring to the proposal to convene a special session of parliament to pass the bill, the BJP chief said the monsoon session should be advanced.

Responding to party leader Yashwant Sinha describing the food security bill as a "disaster" and an "assault on the federal system of India", Rajnath Singh said the bill should be debated and passed with certain amendments.

Taking exception to the government's allegation that the BJP was stalling parliament, Rajnath Singh said it was the government's responsibility to run parliament smoothly.

Had the ministers for railway and law resigned when the BJP demanded it, during the budget session, the food security and land acquisition bills would have been passed, he said. "Why did the two ministers resign later if our demand was not justified."

The BJP chief accused the UPA government of failure on all fronts and wondered why it was celebrating completion of its nine-year rule.

He alleged that the Congress party was politicising even the Maoist attack on its leaders in Chhattisgarh by holding the state's BJP government responsible for it. "The state government is responsible for law and order and not Maoist activity which is a national problem," he said.

Rajnath Singh, here to address a public meeting on Telangana Monday evening, said the BJP would ensure formation of Telangana state within a year if voted to power in New Delhi. Claiming that the party delivered whatever it promised, he said it had carved out three states in north India to fulfill its promise.

He accused the Congress of repeatedly betraying the people of Telangana by going back on its word for formation of a separate state.