Govt orchestrated the whole thing: BJP

Attacking the government for "running away" from a vote on the lokpal bill in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP demanded on Friday that it step down and seek a fresh mandate. HT reports. BJP stand on lokpal over the years | Govt orchestrated ruckus: Opposition

Attacking the government for "running away" from a vote on the lokpal bill in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP demanded on Friday that it step down and seek a fresh mandate.

Leader-of-Opposition-in-the-Rajya-Sabha-Arun-Jaitley-speaks-during-the-debate-on-Lokpal-Bill-in-the-House-in-New-Delhi-PTI-Photo-TV-grab

"A government that shies away from a vote and uses extra-constitutional methods to avoid a vote loses both political and moral authority. We demand that the Prime Minister and his government resign and seek a fresh mandate," said senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley.

Sushma Swaraj accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee of having choreographed the avoidance of a vote: "During Draupadi's cheer haran in Mahabharat, Bhishma and Dronacharya watched silently. But leaders of the two Houses not just watched but actually orchestrated the whole conspiracy." She said the party would take up the matter with the people.

Jaitley said the House could have gone ahead even after 12am. “The chair could have taken the sense of the House and gone on. There was no disturbance or counter-disturbance. There was only choreographed disturbance," he said, obliquely disapproving of the chair’s decision.

He said the opposition parties had pushed for three key issues — federalism, independent CBI and changing appointment and removal provisions of lokpal -- in their amendments, which was their right irrespective of acceptance or rejection by the House. Countering the government argument that 187 amendments could not be sifted all at once, he said about 135-150 were on these common issues.