Govt attempt likely on Monday to end Parliament stalemate

Despite the BJP today indicating that it would continue to obstruct Parliament to demand Prime Minister's resignation over CAG's report on coal block allocations, the Government is likely to make an attempt on Monday to convene an all-party meet to end the logjam.

"I am given to understand on information received that on Monday there would be an attempt to call an all-party meet," Minister of State for Science and Technology Ashwani Kumar told reporters.

Kumar, however, clarified he was not aware of any specific decisions having been taken "at this point of time".

The Minister described as "completely flawed, without basis and fact, and utterly untenable and unacceptable" BJP's strategy of stalling both houses of Parliament to seek Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation.

"It also amounts to contempt of Parliament by virtue of being an insult and affront to the sensitivities and expectations of the people of the country," he said.

The government, he said, was committed to devoting an "unlimited" time to a debate on the recent Comptroller and Auditor General's report which said the state exchequer lost out on a potential revenue of up to Rs 1,86,000 crore in coal block allocations.

The BJP, he said, knows "it has no legs to stand on" in case of a debate and is hence "shying away" from facing Parliament.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley earlier today hinted that the party will continue to gun for the Prime Minister and justified loss of time in Parliament, saying, "There are occasions when obstruction in Parliament brings greater benefit to the country."
Kumar also rubbished speculation of an early elections saying let the Opposition "continue to dream".