Can’t hold up Parliament indefinitely, says Prakash Karat

Signalling a shift in its position, the CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has for the first time said his party was not in favour of continuing the disruption of Parliament in the coming budget session to press for the formation of a JPC to probe the 2G scam. Jayanth Jacob reports. Karat's full interview

Signalling a shift in its position, the CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has for the first time said his party was not in favour of continuing the disruption of Parliament in the coming budget session to press for the formation of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the 2G spectrum scam.

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Of the scheduled 24 working days in November and December, Lok Sabha worked for a single day and the Rajya Sabha could not function at all.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Karat said the party would continue to demand the formation of a JPC and would finalise its strategy after consulting the non-UPA and non-NDA parties.

“On what exactly we should do, we will work it out after consulting these parties. We are not for disruption of Parliament. At the same we are not going to give up our demand for JPC,” Karat said. Read Full interview

The comments are an apparent indication of differences within the opposition unity, which led to a washout of the winter session of Parliament. The mandatory legislative business was conducted amid din in both the houses. The BJP, which had managed a common cause with the entire opposition, to stall the winter session, refrained from reacting to Karat’s comments.

“I won’t have a comment till such a time. Not till the communists come out with a proposal,” said party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.