Opposition steps up attack on govt over ordinance issue

The government's move to issue an ordinance to implement the food security bill saw major Opposition parties today stepping up their attack on the UPA accusing it of bypassing Parliament and acting in a hurry with an eye on polls.
The government rejected the charge saying it wants to provide food security to crores and alleged that Opposition leaders, who had earlier disrupted Parliament sessions were now shedding "crocodile tears" over parliamentary propriety.
Questioning the hurry in issuing an ordinance when the next session was approaching, BJP President Rajnath Singh said his party too wanted the bill to pass but only after a debate and carrying out certain amendments.

"Monsoon session is probably beginning from the third week of July, what was the need for doing it in such a hurry," he asked.
"There are several flaws in this bill on which we want debate in the Parliament and wanted to pass this bill with certain amendments. We don't want to oppose but there should be debate in the Parliament," Singh said.
CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat too was critical of the government's decision saying passing an ordinance ahead of a Parliament session was a contempt of Parliament and injustice to the people.

"For four years, this government did not think that it was a priority to bring a food security legislation and at a time when India has the highest number of malnourished people in the world," Karat said.

"And now on the eve of a Parliament session, to push through an ordinance, a bill which has serious flaws, is contempt of Parliament and also injustice to people," she added.
The CPI too was equally critical of the government and said that the bill needed to be drastically amended.