Resolution may be converted into a Motion under a rule which entails voting
With Gandhian Anna Hazare refusing to budge even as his fast entered the 11th day and the Opposition foiling Government’s plans to hurriedly hold a debate on the Jan Lokpal Bill under provisions which do not entail voting, the Manmohan Singh regime on Friday ultimately agreed to clarify its position on the issue in Parliament on Saturday. It, however, plans to go in for a vote depending on the situation.
In a late night development, Union Law Minister Salman Khursheed held a meeting with Team Anna at his residence in New Delhi. Prashant Bhushan, Medha Patkar and Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit were among the attendees. At the end of the meeting, Khursheed told the media that all issues would be taken up in Parliament on Saturday. He said the Government was concerned about the health of Anna, and hoped that he would break his fast at the earliest.
The day-long debate — against the backdrop of a demand for bringing in a resolution on the Lokpal issue — will start at 11 am in the Lok Sabha with an opening address by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on ‘Issues related to setting up of a Lokpal’. During the debate not only Team Anna’s Bill but also other drafts by those like Aruna Roy and Jayprakash Narayan will be discussed as a document and sent to the Standing Committee. The outcome of the Parliament’s debate will be key to Hazare calling off his fast.
The BJP had demanded that either the Government hold a debate under Rule 184, which entails voting, or the Prime Minister or Leader of the House Mukherjee make a statement following which a debate could be held. Hazare reiterated that he would end his fast only if Parliament adopted a resolution agreeing to the three unresolved issues namely: bringing lower bureaucracy in the ambit of Lokpal, creating Lokayuktas in all the States through a legislation and approving citizens’ charter.
“If a consensus is arrived in the House after the discussion, then a resolution under Rule 193 could be converted into a Motion under Rule 342 (which too does not entail voting) and passed and sent to the Standing Committee,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal said after a meeting of leaders of all parties held by the Speaker to break the logjam over the Opposition’s demand that Parliament should vote on the provisions of the Bill.
Bansal claimed that in the meeting several parties felt that BJP’s motion under Rule 184 would divide the House and therefore almost everyone rejected parts of it. And for his part, Mukherjee categorically refused the Opposition and Team Anna’s demand to withdraw the official
The Government decision, nevertheless, came only after it tried unsuccessfully to hold a discussion on the issue despite not listing the debate in the official agenda of the House. Taken by surprise, the Opposition swiftly joined ranks to thwart the Government’s plans to hold a debate on a motion moved by Congress MP Sandeep Dikskhit and others under Rule 193, which does not entail voting. The Government had on Thursday assured to hold a discussion in the House on Friday.
“We can’t have a seminar inside Parliament. You need to speak your mind on specific issues that have created the logjam. We want the impasse to end and that will only happen when parties clear their position on provisions of Jan Lokpal,” Leaders of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley said. Both Swaraj and Jaitley had given separate notices in two houses of Parliament for a debate under rule that entail vote.
Backing the Jan Lokpal Bill, the BJP reiterated it was for such a law that covers Prime Minister with the exception of his National Security and Public Order functions. Asking for an independent and autonomous CBI, the BJP asserted that panel to appoint Lokpal should not be loaded in government’s favour.
The Government and the Opposition stand-off continued - also on the wordings of the resolutions to be adopted - even as the two sides made attempts to reach out to the Team Anna camp. While Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh continued to be in touch with the Gandhian, Prime Minister held a series of meetings with his senior Cabinet colleagues and sent in a draft resolution to be adopted in the Parliament to Team Anna for its approval.
Hazare instead sent his teams own version of the resolution along with a letter to the PM wherein he said he had “no personal motive” in fasting.
BJP’s efforts saw its senior leaders Gopinath Munde and Ananth Kumar meeting Hazare. Sources said the duo reiterated the party’s backing to the Jan Lokpal Bill. The BJP leaders told Hazare that they have insisted on a vote as they wanted every party to clear its position on various provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Team Anna had a meeting with senior leaders of the BJP at the residence of LK Advani late on Thursday night where they are understood to have reached to a common point on various disputed issues.
In the meantime, differences continued to grow within the Anna camp with former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde strongly criticizing the Gandhian’s insistence on “having his way” in Parliament and seeking to make out a case for ending his fast even while continuing the anti-corruption fight. Swami Agnivesh has also disassociated himself from the Anna camp.
Lokpal Logjam
The debate to start on Saturday at 11 AM with an opening address by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee
The BJP had demanded that either the Govt hold a debate under Rule 184 which entails voting or the PM or the Leader of the House make a statement, following which a debate can be held
Mukherjee staunchly refused the Opposition and Team Anna’s demand to withdraw the official Lokpal Bill pending before Standing Committee
We can’t have a seminar inside Parliament. You need to speak your mind on specific issues that have created the logjam, said Leaders of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley
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