Deadlock over T-bill persists, govt mulling extending session

The deadlock over the Telangana bill persisted with the government today accusing c of bringing amendments at the eleventh hour even as it said it could consider extending the Parliament session to get crucial bills passed.

The session, the last of the 15th Lok Sabha, is scheduled to conclude tomorrow.

"We have listed the Telangana bill in Rajya Sabha and we would be attempting to get it passed. The question of amendments at this stage does not arise," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters.

Criticising BJP, he said the opposition party had moved no amendment in Lok Sabha, "(but) they suddenly changed their mind and want to move amendments".

He said BJP voted against similar amendments moved by members of other parties in Lok Sabha.

"If they didn't do it (move amendments) in Lok Sabha, I don't see why they should do it in Rajya Sabha. I have requested them to let the bill be passed," Nath said.

With BJP pressing for a package for Seemandhra and moving amendments for the purpose, he said the government would like to see that Seemandhra gets its "adequate resources, adequate revenues and full justice is done".

"There are issues which concern Seemandhra, valid issues. Of course, the government supports all the valid issues of Seemandhra," he said.

Nath's statement meant that the government and BJP have not found common ground on the Telangana bill issue even though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and his party colleague M Venkaiah Naidu had a meeting yesterday.