CPI(M) ups ante on land ordinance, Cong says in touch with

CPI-M today said it would decide whether to continue in the joint parliamentary committee on land bill after repromulgation of the relevant ordinance while Congress today said it was in touch with opposition parties on the issue.
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yexchury said in Hyderabad that the party would decide about whether it should continue in the joint committee at all as the re-promulgation was "wrong and untenable" in a democracy when the panel was considering the amended bill.
When the parliamentary committee is examining the bill and continuing its work, to proclaim the ordinance once again is "absolutely untenable constitutionally in a democracy," Yechury, who is also CPI-M leader in Parliament, said.

"Let it (the committee) examine the bill and come to its conclusions. Let it present its report to Parliament and let Parliament decide. In the meanwhile, while this is going on, to proclaim the ordinance is completely untenable and it is wrong", Yechury said.
"We have to decide whether we should be in the committee or not under such circumstances. Our party will take a decision. We have to decide whether there is any meaning in participating in the joint parliamentary committee," he said.
"This sort of an attack on parliamentary procedures, methods and parliamentary democracy itself is serious. It is an ominous sign", Yechury told reporters at a meet-the-media programme hosted by journalists' unions.

He also said that opposition parties have to collectively or separately decide about whether they should or should not be part of the parliamentary panel.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said "the government's blatant disregard for parliament cannot be ignored."
"We are in touch with other parties," he said when asked by PTI whether Congress was in touch with other opposition parties for a possible joint action on the issue.
Ramesh, who was Rural Development Minister in UPA when the Land bill was passed in 2013, said that the party definitely believed that third time promulgation is a "huge insult to Parliament and makes a mockery of the select committee. We are in touch with opposition parties".