BJP-govt confrontation escalates

In an escalation of confrontation, BJP today decided to boycott meetings to be convened by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and the Lok Sabha Speaker as it accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of not allowing opposition to air their views in Parliament.
The BJP decision announced by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj was ridiculed Congress as one to find excuses to disrupt Parliament.
The escalation comes at a time when the BJP has been stalling Parliament for the last seven days by demanding resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar over the coal block allocation issue.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj accused Congress President Sonia Gandhi of not allowing opposition to air their views in Parliament and said there is a "situation of total breakdown" in the ties for which the government is "responsible".

Forced to cut short her speech in Lok Sabha due to interruptions when the Finance Bill was being taken up this morning, Swaraj said she could not speak because Gandhi "instigated" ministers to create disturbances.
Addressing a press conference, she said Speaker Meira Kumar did not give her "protection" by allowing enough time or checking the ruling party members from creating disturbances.

Swaraj, while speaking in Lok Sabha on why BJP is demanding the Prime Minister's resignation and stalling the House on coal issue, described the UPA government as the "most corrupt", triggering an uproar.
She said as a protest to such a behaviour, BJP will not attend any meeting called by the Speaker or participate in any talks held by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

This stand will continue till there is any improvement in the situation, she said.
At the same time, she said BJP will will not move no-confidence motion against the government.
Rejecting Swaraj's allegations against Gandhi as "completely untrue", Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said it was an "excuse to disrupt Parliament".
Chowdhary recalled that it was the same Swaraj who had threatened that she will get her head shaved if Sonia Gandhi became Prime Minister in 2004 Lok Sabha.