The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Thursday stoutly dismissed the conjecture about a truncated Parliament session and stated the Lok Pal Bill would be taken up on Monday in the Rajya Sabha.
Underlining their intent to get some "serious" legislative business transacted in the six remaining days of the session, the Congress rejected the Opposition's charge that the government itself was not interested in running the Houses of Parliament. A whole week has been lost due to disruptions.
Union Minister Harish Rawat said, "We want Parliament to take credit for being the one which enacted the historic Lok Pal Bill; this being the last effective session of this." Most political parties with the exception of some like the Samajwadi Party, are in favour of the Bill.
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Besides, Anna Hazare's ongoing fast is also mounting pressure on the government to get the Bill passed.
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties had publicly been saying "the government was not keen on having Parliament function", as they were worried over the no-confidence motion moved against the UPA in the Lok Sabha.
"Usually it is the Opposition which is blamed if there are disruptions in the House but in the last two sessions - Monsoon and Winter - the ruling side has been fully responsible for it. Congress, YSR Congress, TDP MPs are in the Well of the House as soon as it assembles. The SP and BSP, outside allies of UPA, too disrupt the House," Sushma Swaraj said.
Rejecting the charge, the Congress appealed to all political parties to "cooperate" in getting the legislative business transacted. The Business Advisory Committee on Thursday allocated time for taking up the Lok Pal Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said, "Our priority is the Lok Pal Bill. The Bill has to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha, and then it will come up in the Lok Sabha."
While the SP has already made public its opposition to the Bill, others such as the NCP and JD(U) have extended their support. The TMC has also committed to supporting the Bill. "The Trinamool Congress fully supports the Lok Pal Bill ... For Lok Ayuktas, the state governments must have the full freedom to set up and run them," TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said.
After being cleared by the Lok Sabha, the Lok Pal Bill was sent to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha. The committee, headed by Congress MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi, held several sittings and all political parties were privy to it. There were 13 unanimous recommendations adopted by the committee.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said, "The government should bring the Bill with these amendments and BJP will support it along with the UPA. The Rajya Sabha can pass it on Friday and it can be passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday."
The government reiterated that it is not just the Lok Pal Bill, the government wants other crucial bills such as the SC/ST reservation in promotion issue, the women reservation Bill, the Sebi ordinance to be passed as a Bill.
