JOIN USUnable to break the deadlock that is impeding legislative business in the monsoon session, the NDA government now wants the Congress to appeal to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to rescind her order of suspending 25 MPs.
Till now, other opposition parties have been mediating to ensure that the suspended Congress MPs are back in Lower House but a senior minister said it can happen only when the party requests the Speaker, who had suspended them on Monday for five days for protesting in the Well of the House with placards.
It is only after that the government might move a motion for withdrawal of their suspension. However, the Congress appears to be defiant and unwilling to budge from its stand of ‘resignation first and discussion later’ on controversies surrounding Union minister Sushma Swaraj and BJP chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Vasundhra Raje. Having tasted the blood after forcing the government to withdraw contentious clauses from the land acquisition bill, the Congress is also threatening not to allow passage of the Goods and Services Tax Bill which is crucial for the economy’s revival.
The government is apprehensive that the Congress MPs, after returning, might resort to the same tactics of disrupting the House. It said it would be willing to help out Congress if it committed to not disrupt the proceedings.
Naidu, Prasad appeal
"Not for the government or the BJP, please do a favour to the country. Allow legislations to be taken up in both houses. Don't stall them... Opposition should leave politics aside for the country's sake and take it forward by allowing Parliament to function," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in an appeal.
He also showered praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as "God's gift to the nation" and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who he called a national "asset". The government was also left frustrated by the impasse as was reflected in the words of Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who told reporters that all negotiations have failed because of the Congress’s rigid stand.
“The Congress has not left any position for give and take. Even they have to give something too for negotiations for bringing normalcy in Parliament,” Prasad said. He also requested the Congress to “introspect”, “reconsider” and indulge in some “soul searching” over what kind of image they want to portray.