BJP leaders to meet PM for dinner

To discuss Telangana Issue and certain other reservations

As parliament continues to see disruptions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited top BJP leaders for dinner to discuss the functioning of the two houses and important pending legislations, including the Telangana bill and anti-graft bills.

According to sources, the prime minister has called Bharatiya Janata Party veteran L.K. Advani, and leaders of opposition from the both houses Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj for dinner Feb 12.

The dinner meeting was scheduled for Monday, but was postponed as Advani is out of Delhi, the sources added.

The BJP has been supporting the formation of Telangana, however, there are certain reservations the main opposition party has about the bill and seeks some amendments.

The government, sources said, is ready to accommodate the opposition's view in the bill.

The prime minister is also likely to discuss the six anti-graft bills, which the government has said it is eager to pass and seeks BJP's support on them.

The Telangana bill has been cleared by the cabinet amid much protest from its own leaders from the non-Telangana regions of Andhra Pradesh. The bill is expected to be tabled in parliament in a day or two.

Both houses of parliament have been disrupted regularly over the formation of Telangana since the beginning of the second half of winter session Feb 5.