BJP to raise issue of missing coal block files in Parliament

They said that PM's effort to end the impasse had failed

BJP top brass today decided to raise the issue of missing coal block allocation files in Parliament, making it clear that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's effort to end the impasse last night has failed.

The Prime Minister's last ditch effort to resolve the deadlock over the missing files before he left for the G-20 Summit appears to have failed with the main opposition deciding to vociferously raise this issue in both Houses, party sources said.

BJP had told the Prime Minister that it will take a call on the issue after discussing the matter with senior MPs before the House convenes today.

Party sources said BJP has decided to continue with the protests in both Houses and strongly raise the coal issue. "Prime Minister's dinner diplomacy has failed. We will raise the coal issue in Parliament," a senior party leader said.

However, it is likely to cooperate in passage of the Land Acquisition Bill which is slated to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha today. BJP does not wish to be seen as "anti-farmer" by opposing the Bill.

But the fate of other Bills is uncertain.

BJP had not given any assurance to the Prime Minister on smooth running of Parliament at a late night meeting yesterday in which Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Party Chief L K Advani took part.

The BJP leaders had told the Prime Minister that tempers are high in the party over the manner in which he had walked out of the House "in a huff" after reading out a statement on the missing files pertaining to the coal block allocations.

BJP agreed to the conduct of Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha today as it gave the party an opportunity to raise other crucial issues like the possible US attack on Syria.

Swaraj and Jaitley are likely to hold a press conference today on the missing files.