Stormy session ahead as Oppn readies for a joint onslaught

A combined Opposition onslaught awaits the government in the monsoon session. And providing it fresh ammo are A Raja’s bid to shift focus to Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram in the 2G scam, handling of Indo-Pak ties in the backdrop of Mumbai serial blasts, black money and price rise

A combined Opposition onslaught awaits the government in the monsoon session. And providing it fresh ammo are A Raja’s bid to shift focus to Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram in the 2G scam, handling of Indo-Pak ties in the backdrop of Mumbai serial blasts, black money and price rise.

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The BJP — hoping that BS Yeddyurappa’s exit before the session will enable it to recover some lost moral ground —held a meeting of its parliamentary party executive at senior leader LK Advani’s residence on Saturday to identify the issues to be raised in Parliament.

“We have demanded a discussion on internal security with special reference to Mumbai terror attacks under Rule 193. We have also asked for a discussion on Maoist violence,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj tweeted after the meeting.

The BJP, which wants the PMO to be brought under lokpal’s purview, will not oppose the introduction of the bill. Swaraj expects the bill to be referred to the standing committee of the law and justice ministry and said “we will present our amendments before the committee to make the bill much more effective”.

The CPM has already served an adjournment motion notice on inflation to take up the rise in prices of petro products and essential commodities as well as food security.

The Left’s problems in West Bengal, where they lost the assembly polls, will see their MPs raising the issues of “growing” attacks on their cadre — allegedly by the Trinamool Congress-Maoist combine — and the Mamata government’s “soft” attitude towards the extremists. Left MPs may stage a protest sit-in outside Parliament House.

Angered by the Centre’s refusal to grant any of her demands, Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa instructed her ADMK MPs led by Dr Maitreyan and Thambi Durai to go “full blast” on the issue of 2G scam, demanding an explanation from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Chidambaram on Raja’s charges.