New Delhi: Holding the opposition's "disruptionary tactics" responsible for not allowing passage of the Food Security and Land Acquisition Bills in Parliament's Budget Session, the Congress on Saturday expressed its willingness for a special session if the other parties were agreed. Congress spokesperson PC Chacko also said that the party will take "disruptionary tactics" of the opposition to the people, alleging they had displayed "least inclination" towards passing pro-people legislations like the two bills.
He said the new Bill on land acquisition provides for better compensation to land owners and has provision for rehabilitation and resettlement. Chacko said Congress president Sonia Gandhi had spoken to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj as the UPA government wanted the opposition to realise benefits of the bills.
He said the Congress had never closed the option on resignation of union ministers Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar, a demand vociferously raised by the opposition parties, and the reason for the latter part of the budget session's second half being washed out. Asked about the possibility of a special session to pass the two Bills, Chacko said the Congress was not against it.
"We are not against it and a session means that it should be a unanimous decision. We are ready to give one more opportunity to the opposition and if they are ready, we are ready to discuss," he said. "We believe that bills should have been passed and we want to pass this at the earliest opportunity. We
11:22 PM, May 18, 2013
In this episode of The Week That Wasn't, Cyrus Broacha talks about Parliament stalemate, Karnataka polls result and much more. ...
12:45 PM, May 12, 2013
New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday hugged Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj in the Central Hall of Parliament. The two exchanged pleasantries and spoke for a few minutes. The meeting between the two came days after Sushma had attacked Sonia for destroying spirit of democracy. Last Friday, Swaraj had accused Sonia of instigating her MPs to disrupt her speech in the Lok Sabha. Sonia, who has been under attack from...
06:58 PM, May 07, 2013
New Delhi: Daily disruptions and ruckus inside Parliament - that Vice President Hamid Ansari said has been described as "competitive hooliganism" - have become routine and both the government and opposition blame each other for it, but experts say it is a negation of democracy and probably a way to get media coverage. "The way parliament has been functioning, it is a total negation of democracy," Jagdeep Chhokar, a retired...
06:10 PM, May 07, 2013
New Delhi: 1:00 pm: As the Lok Sabha resumed, uproar continued in the House with BJP MPs demanding Manmohan Singh's resignation. The Lok Sabha has now been adjourned for the day and the Food Security Bill may again be taken up on Wednesday. 12:40 pm: The Congress Core Group is meeting in Parliament to chalk out a strategy to end Parliament deadlock. 12:17 pm: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Parliamentary...
11:21 AM, May 07, 2013
New Delhi: The Opposition is in no mood to relent saying it will not let Parliament function without the resignations of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On Monday, there was uproar in the Lok Sabha with the BJP, its allies and the Left storming the well of the House even as the National Food Security Bill was taken up for discussion....
08:54 AM, May 07, 2013
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha has approved the extension of the term of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam till the end of Monsoon Session. The Monsoon Session is likely to begin around July 23. Facing a combined Opposition and allegations of bias, the chairman of JPC, PC Chacko had held informal consultation with the members. Sources say the BJP had agreed for an extension. The tenure of the...
03:19 PM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: Chairman of the joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G scam PC Chacko is likely to move a resolution in the Lok Sabha seeking extension of the JPC beyond the Budget Session. Sources say that the BJP has agreed to the extension of the JPC beyond May 10. After Lok Sahba Speaker Meira Kumar expressed her inability to remove him as JPC Chairman as demanded by 15 opposition members...
02:30 PM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: Lok Sabha proceedings were paralysed on Thursday as members created uproar over the death of Sarabjit Singh, acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in anti-Sikh riots case and Chinese incursions. As soon as the House assembled for the day, Akali Dal members rushed to the Well waving placards and demanding appeal in court against the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in anti-Sikh riots case. They held placards...
03:45 PM, May 02, 2013
New Delhi: Despite BJP escalating confrontation in Parliament, government has listed two key bills, including the ambitious National Food Security Bill, for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill piloted by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh is also on the legislative agenda of the Lok Sabha Thursday. Congress has often dubbed the Food Bill and the Land Bill as "game-changers" as...
09:15 PM, May 01, 2013
New Delhi: Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Finance Bill taking in consideration all the amendments proposed even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of the House protesting against coal scam. The Bill was passed with 12 minor amendments. The passage of the bill effectively brought to an end the budgetary process that started with the budget speech by the Finance Minister P Chidambaram on February 28. The...
03:14 PM, Apr 30, 2013
Hotels and restaurants across the country are on a one-day token strike to protest against what they call excessive taxation announced in the Union Budget. ...
05:32 PM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: There seems to be a breakthrough in the efforts to end Parliament deadlock as the government has managed to get the Opposition on board to pass the Finance Bill. Sources say that the Finance Bill is likely to be taken up on Tuesday along with demands for grants. The demands for grants for four ministries were agreed upon in consultation with opposition parties. This came after Parliamentary Affairs...
12:41 PM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: 2.04 pm: Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned for the day. 12.19 pm: The all-party meet called by Meira Kumar ends. 12.19 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm after uproar over demand for PM's resignation over coal scam. 12.09 pm: "I have been saying that China is preparing to capture Indian territory on the border but the government and the Chair has...
11:39 AM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: A Parliament deadlocked yet again over corruption scandals threatens Finance Minister P Chidambaram's ambitious reform agenda, dealing a harsh dose of political reality on the heels of his North American roadshow to sell the India story. Two long-stalled reforms - one to lift the foreign ownership cap in insurers to 49 per cent from 26 per cent and another that would simplify land acquisition for factories - were...
08:38 AM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: Parliament will resume on Monday after a wasted week that saw adjournments and uproar over various issues such as 2G scam, coal scam and the Delhi minor rape. The opposition, however, is still not in a mood to relent and is all set to attack the government over the coal scam yet again. In a bid to break the deadlock, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath is likely to...
07:56 AM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: Pressure seems to be growing on the UPA government from within its own constituents. With the first week of the reconvened session of Parliament almost being a washout, the National Congress Party (NCP) has thrown a sharp hint. It says that any failure to pass the Finance Bill in Parliament this session can bring the UPA government down. The NCP leaders will hold a two-day meet in Mumbai...
09:13 AM, Apr 27, 2013
New Delhi: Proceedings were washed out for the third consecutive day in Rajya Sabha as BJP created uproar on the coalgate issue demanding resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and dismissal of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar. Lok Sabha, which did not transact any business during the last two working days (Monday and Tuesday) on the coal block allocation and 2G spectrum issues, was adjourned for the day on Thursday as...
03:38 PM, Apr 25, 2013
New Delhi: Rajya Sabha was on Thursday was adjourned till noon after opposition BJP and UPA ally SP created ruckus in the House over separate issues. While BJP persisted with its demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the coalgate scam, SP members trooped into the well raising the issue of Chinese incursion. Hardly had Chairman Hamid Ansari called the House to order, BJP, SP and Left members...
12:00 PM, Apr 25, 2013
New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday sharpened its attack on the UPA government demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the 2G spectrum scam and coalgate. Even as the Opposition appeared divided over seeking PM's resignation, for the Congress these are worrying times. The passage of crucial bills in the Budget Session including the Finance Bill are at stake if the deadlock persists. The NDA is upping the...
09:40 PM, Apr 23, 2013
