BJP says PM's skeleton remark confrontationist

With the BJP hitting hard at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his statement that the "Opposition had skeletons in its cupboard," the government played down the remark, saying it had been blown out of proportion.

With the BJP hitting hard at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his statement that the "Opposition had skeletons in its cupboard," the government played down the remark, saying it had been blown out of proportion.

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"The prime minister's statement daring to expose skeletons in the Opposition's cupboard has set a confrontationist tone for the monsoon session of the Parliament," said Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

Her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley accused the PM of being confrontational on the eve of the monsoon session of Parliament to divert attention from questions being raised vis-à-vis his role in the 2G spectrum allocation.

Asked whether BJP leaders in Delhi were beneficiaries of "corruption money" from Karnataka, Jaitley challenged the Congress and media to produce any such evidence, promising that the party would answer all questions.

But the government said the remark was not an impediment in the functioning of Parliament. "It has been blown out of proportion...The matter ends. I must appreciate this (the Opposition) is not making an issue out of it...It is not an impediment in Parliament," parliamentary affairs minister

Bansal added he and Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee were having "positive" talks with the Opposition and "we will be able to have good, healthy, constructive discussions in the House....for a change".

"It is a desire on their (Opposition's) part that Parliament runs," he said.

The Congress saw "nothing objectionable" in the prime minister's remark. "The BJP's cupboard is full of skeletons and if someone says that then what is wrong in it," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said.

The BJP, however, said the PM's comment came at a time when the Centre and Opposition were in talks for a fruitful session of Parliament.

Jaitley said the PM had changed his stand several times on the 2G spectrum.