NEW DELHI: Winter session of the Parliament commenced yesterday on a stormy note with legislators belonging to opposition raising issues like terrorism and inflation in the Rajya Sabha and the Left bloc moving a privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Indo-US civilian nuclear deal in both the Houses.
The Left bloc blamed Singh for not taking the House into confidence on the nuke pact. “At the time of the confidence vote, the prime minister had given an assurance to the House that before signing the deal he would come to the House to get its approval,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator Sitaram Yechury told reporters in the Parliament House complex. “Whatever promises have been made in the House have been violated. Hence, we have decided to move a privilege motion in both Houses,” he said.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Left bloc was supported by legislators belonging to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), who shouted slogans against the deal. The ball is now in the court of Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee. Should they decide to accept the motion, it will then go to the Privileges Committee, which will frame “charges” if it finds merit in the plea.
This would then have to be debated and voted on in Parliament. If the motion is carried, the government would have to resign. The current session of Parliament runs till Nov. 21 and there is a possibility that it might be curtailed in view of the upcoming festive season and assembly elections in five states. Legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) displayed its agitation against the center’s stand on Orissa, which has witnessed anti-Christian communal violence following the killing of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader in August.
