The blame game on who should take responsibility for the Lokpal Bill not being passed by the Rajya Sabha started with both the Government and Opposition accusing one another of sabotaging the Bill's passage.
Addressing a press conference, the Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, said that the “real story is that the BJP which opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha had no intention of passing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. They hit upon this ingenious device of moving 187 amendments…not only they (but) all together.”
The Home Minister said that on occasions it is possible that one or two amendments are moved in the Rajya Sabha as the Bill has been debated extensively and amendments have been considered (by the Lok Sabha).
“But what happened yesterday….187 amendments were moved the last of which was received at 6 p.m. it was pretty clear that those who moved the amendments had no intention of passing the Bill before the day came to an end. Can anyone make sense of 187 amendments,” the Home Minister said.
He maintained that the Government had discharged its obligation.
“We have done everything possible to get it passed. At least it has not been defeated. We will take it up in the Budget session and pass it,” he stressed.
‘hold fresh elections'
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Ms Sushma Swaraj, demanded that the Government should quit and hold fresh elections as it had lost the majority in both Houses.
“A Government which runs away from voting, has no political or moral right to stay in power. It should do some introspection,” Ms Swaraj said.
Mr Arun Jaitley added that the BJP will expose the Government and make the public aware of yesterday's development.
The CPI (M) also blamed the Government accusing it of “subterfuge and sabotage” in not allowing voting on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
“The UPA Government is squarely responsible for this. It is most unfortunate that this sort of subterfuge and sabotage has been carried out when the people are looking up to Parliament for an effective anti-graft Bill,” the CPI (M) Leader, Mr Sitaram Yechury, said.
Taking on the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr P.K. Bansal, for refusing to extend the House, Mr Yechury, said there were instances in the past when this had been done.
ashphadnis@thehindu.co.in