BJP blames Cong, BSP for disruptions in Par

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain maintained that while the government had managed the support of BSP during the FDI voting in Parliament, differences have cropped up between them now.

"Congress rode on the elephant and now the elephant is trampling Congress. The House is not functioning due to Congress and its supporting parties," Hussain said in an oblique reference to BSP whose election symbol is the elephant.

BSP has been stalling proceedings to press for its demand for passage of the reservation in promotion of SC/ST bill. Today, however, BSP raised the coal block allocation issue which BJP had been pressing for in the Monsoon Session leading to its near washout.

Asked if the coal scam and other corruption issues were no longer on the BJP agenda, Hussain said, "There was definitely a scam in coal block allocations."

But, he wondered why BSP raised this issue out of the blue. "Lok Sabha was functioning normally during Question Hour when at 11:45 AM BSP members got this brainwave that the government should give a clarification on coalgate," he said, hinting that there could be a nexus between them.

"It appears that BSP members had come with a pre- determined mind," he added.

BJP said whenever there are disruptions in the House, the government holds the opposition responsible for it but in this case, it is the government and its supporting party which are to blame.

"Earlier, Parliament had not functioned due to the adamance of Congress on the FDI in retail issue when it was not agreeing to debate and voting on it," Hussain said.

BJP, however, thanked the government for ordering a probe by a retired judge into allegations of lobbying by Walmart.