New Delhi: A high level BJP delegation on Thursday submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil demanding reconvening of Parliament session so that voting is conducted on the Lokpal Bill.
The delegation, led by senior BJP Leader LK Advani and BJP President Nitin Gadkari, also registered an official protest over the Lokpal Bill fiasco that took place in the Rajya Sabha on December 29.
Alleging that the Government ran away from voting in the Rajya Sabha on the Lokpal Bill, the BJP will launch a "Save democracy, remove Congress" campaign throughout the country against the Congress.
The Congress, however, rejected allegations of running away from vote on the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha, and said it wanted to complete the procedure but the Opposition did not allow it....
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01:53 PM, Jan 05, 2012
New Delhi: A BJP delegation is expected to call on President Prathiba Patil on Tuesday to register an official protest over the Lokpal Bill fiasco that took place in the Rajya Sabha on December 29. The high-level delegation will be led by senior BJP leader LK Advani and party President Nitin Gadkari. The party will also launch a week-long nationwide protest against the Congress over the Lokpal issue. Alleging that...
08:33 AM, Jan 03, 2012
New Delhi: After an abrupt midnight end to the Rajya Sabha session and embarrassing allegation of an orchestrated chaos, the Government said it will ensure that the Lokpall Bill is passed in the Budget Session. It now seems ready to remove the 'Lokayukta' clause from the Bill, but after the scenes that played out in Parliament on Thursday night, the question many are raising - will the Lokpal Bill ever...
11:04 PM, Dec 30, 2011
New Delhi: After UPA constituent Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday joined hands with the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to go against the Government over the Lokpal Bill, the question raised is - has Mamata Banerjee just proved to be a difficult ally or has the Congress just failed to manage their biggest ally because of their arrogance? The TMC made its intension clear on Wednesday, a day before the...
10:15 PM, Dec 30, 2011
New Delhi: Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee has defended the Government's decision to avoid voting on the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha where the Opposition and the Trinamool Congress joined hands to stall the Bill. "Those who did not allow Parliament to function for days in and days out have suddenly become very conscious about Parliament's image. It is politics," said Chatterjee. Upset over the allegation that the...
06:54 PM, Dec 30, 2011
New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad has severely criticised the Congress and the ruling UPA Government for orchestrating the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha so that no voting on the Lokpal Bill could take place. "The UPA Government and the Congress has committed a fraud on the democracy," said Prasad. The RJD was employed to disrupt the proceedings of the House," alleges Prasad. "The Government could manage amendments in...
01:14 AM, Dec 30, 2011
New Delhi: After the upper House was adjourned on Thursday midnight without voting on the Lokpal Bill, the Leader of Oppositon in Rajya Sabha and BJP leader Arun Jaitley criticised the Government for staging the drama and asked for immediate resignation of the UPA Government. "It (the Government) has no right to govern the country. It has lost political and moral authority," said Jaitley. "Since today evening the Government's intention...
12:36 AM, Dec 30, 2011
New Delhi: Replying to the Lokpal debate in the Rajya Sabha on behalf of the ruling Congress, Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy on Thursday defended the Government over the Lokpal Bill and attacked the former NDA over the issue. "Confiscation of property before conviction is a path breaking provision. The Lokpal will have the power to transfer an officer," said Narayanasamy. Targeting the NDA, he said, "The Bill,...
12:16 AM, Dec 30, 2011
New Delhi: Voting on the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha is looking increasingly unlikely. The government is believed to have raised the point of a midnight limit on proceedings. With 18 speakers yet to deliver their speeches as of 9.40 PM, and a staggering 205 amendments awaiting discussion, the possibility of the Bill's being passed in any form - with or without amendments - in the Rajya Sabha is...
09:51 PM, Dec 29, 2011
New Delhi: Taking part in the Lokpal debate in the Rajya Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Thursday opposed the Lokpal Bill in the present form and objected on the issue of bringing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the purview of the Lokpal. "We oppose the Bill in present form," said Yadav. "People think the Lokpal Bill will eradicate corruption, which is wrong. We have to...
06:13 PM, Dec 29, 2011
New Delhi: With the Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal failing in Lok Sabha, the BJP on Tuesday night demanded resignation of the UPA Government on moral grounds. "Government should resign on moral grounds. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has no moral right to continue in office," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters after the embarrassing development for the Government. He noted that the Government could not muster even simple majority of...
01:13 AM, Dec 28, 2011
New Delhi: Government suffered a major embarrassment in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday night when the House defeated the Bill giving the Lokpal a constitutional status. The Bill, which was an idea of Rahul Gandhi to give constitutional status to Lokpal, failed to muster the required two-third majority of those present and voting in all the three clauses. The House witnessed high drama as voting on the three clauses showed...
11:51 PM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday came down heavily on Team Anna and the Opposition over the Lokpal Bill during the debate in the Lok Sabha. While the Prime Minister was moderate in his attack, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's speech was harsher. Attacking Team Anna, Tharoor said, "It's time to tell civil society that your views have been heard, now listen to us." "We don't need Jasmine revolutions in India....
09:36 PM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, in his speech during the Lokpal Bill debate in Lok Sabha on Tuesday described the UPA Government as 'the most corrupt Government' and said it is knowingly doing unconstitutional things. "The Government is knowingly doing unconstitutional things. The most corrupt Government is in power today," said Sinha. Suspecting 'sincerity' of the Government, Sinha said, "Winning a Lok Sabha poll is the most difficult job....
08:04 PM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: Describing the Lokpal Bill that has been table in Parliament as useless and toothless, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur said that the Bill should be trashed and a new Bill need to be introduced. During the Lokpal debate in Lok Sabha, Kaur said, "Tabled Bill should be trashed. Need a new Bill." Accusing the Centre, she said, "The Government wants to ensure that the Bill will not...
07:19 PM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: The CPI on Tuesday welcomed the Lokpal Bill, but said that the party will not support the Bill in the present form. Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, CPI leader Gurudas Das Gupta, said "There is departure. The Prime Minis has already spoken." "He (Manmohan Singh) provoked controversy. He should have been little more careful," Das Gupta said. Criticising Manmohan Singh, he said, "The Prime Minister has...
06:45 PM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: CPI (M) leader Basudeb Acharia on Tuesday advocated that Lokpal should have an independent investigative agency. He said that the government wants to weaken the constitution with this bill. "We attended 3 all-party meetings, we gave many suggestions. If Lokpal does not have its own investigative agency, what will Lokpal do? We will just end up with another piece of dysfunctional body. The government should have open mind,...
04:01 PM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday demanded that the Lokpal Bill should be withdrawn, claiming that there were flaws and inconsistencies in the proposed legislation to deal with corruption. "The Bill should be withdrawn. No need to pass it in a hurry. Send it back to the Standing Committee. Reintroduce it after 3-4 months. We wanted the Bill in this session. But, we...
11:53 AM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: The debate over the Lokpal Bill began in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Union MoS in the PMO V Narayanasamy moved the Bill in the Lok Sabha. Narayanasamy said, "There is a need for the Legislation of Lokpal. 2010 AICC session gave a clear signal to it. We removed discretionary powers of ministers." Earlier, it was reported that the debate will start at 2 PM. Lalu Prasad and Mulayam...
11:20 AM, Dec 27, 2011
New Delhi: Aruna Roy-led NCPRI on Tuesday attacked the Lokpal Bill for its "lack of appropriateness", saying it does not provide for adequate independence for the ombudsman or power to investigate cases. In its critique of the Bill, the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) said the appropriateness of 'The Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011' could well be determined by asking questions like whether the Lokpal is adequately...
11:10 AM, Dec 27, 2011
