JOIN USThe Centre’s surprise move to initiate discussion on the Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday hit an opposition wall after the BJP stuck to its stand that the law and railway ministers, allegedly involved in scandals, should be removed before it can back key bills.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Saba, Sushma Swaraj condemned the manner in which the government tried to get the bill passed. “This government is not only corrupt but also an oppressive one.
Outside Parliament, it indulges in corruption and inside Parliament, it acts as an oppressor. It tried to get the food security bill passed in the Lok Sabha thinking this will divert the country's attention from their corruption. This is condemnable,” she told reporters outside Parliament.
She said that apart from the BJP, other parties, including Samajwadi Party, did not want the bill to be passed in a din. “Unless the demand of removing Law Minister Ashwani Kumar (coalgate scam) and Railway Minister Pawan Bansal (post-for-sale scam), no bill will be passed,” she threatened.
Only four days are left before the Budget Session ends. Swaraj pointed out that though the BJP did not participate in the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting, other parties had expressed their view that the food security bill should not be rushed through.
She said the party wants to participate in the debate on the bill but only after the ministers are sacked.The CBI’s affidavit on unauthorised vetting of its draft report, filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, gave fresh ammunition for the Opposition to seek Kumar’s scalp.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley picked up alterations made in the draft at the instance of the law minister to argue that these were “extremely major changes,” contrary to Kumar’s assertion that he merely suggested “grammatical changes”.
Pointing to Paragraph 19 of the CBI affidavit, Jaitley said an important portion in the draft was removed. He said the portion contained the agency’s observation that it was not clear on what basis weightage was given to those who got the mining contracts.