Pranab hopes smooth sailing for the Budget Session

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said he hoped that "better sense" will prevail upon the opposition and the logjam witnessed in the winter session of parliament over the demand for a JPC probe into 2G scam will not spill over to the Budget Session.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said he hoped that "better sense" will prevail upon the opposition and the logjam witnessed in the winter session of parliament over the demand for a JPC probe into 2G scam will not spill over to the Budget Session.

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"I don't hope so. I hope better sense will prevail," Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi. He was asked whether the Budget Session will be the same as the winter session which witnessed a deadlock between the government and the opposition over constituting a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe 2G scam.

The opposition has rejected Mukherjee's -- also Leader of the House in Lok Sabha -- offer to hold a special session of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session to discuss the issue.

"If they (the opposition) assure that there will be a debate, I am ready to call a special session of parliament before the Budget Session so that this issue (setting up of a JPC) is debated," Mukherjee had said.