Vajpayee relents on JPC, Sonia on business

By Harish Khare

NEW DELHI, APRIL 23. The six-week stalemate in Parliament was finally resolved today with the Government professing to have an ``open mind'' on the Congress demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the Tehelka expose, and the Congress agreeing to an orderly discussion of the financial business before the House. The resolution of the deadlock thus ends one of the ugliest chapters in Parliament's history.

As per the agreement, the Lok Sabha will discuss on April 24 the demands for grants for the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry for Disinvestment, and on April 25 the Financial Bill will be discussed and passed. On April 26, the two Houses of Parliament could take up discussion on the Tehelka expose; during this discussion the question of setting up a JPC would be thrashed out with an ``open mind''. The modalities of this proposed discussion would be argued out in the Business Advisory Committee tomorrow.

This ``pact'' was ``initialled'' by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, in the chamber of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr. G.M.C.Balayogi, this evening. Also present were Mr. Pramod Mahajan, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, while Ms. Gandhi was accompanied by Mr. Madhavrao Scindia, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, and Mr. Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, chief whip.

The crux of the ``pact'' is that the Government has secured a concession from the Opposition that the financial business must be allowed to be discussed and debated, while the Government has conceded the feasibility of the idea of a JPC probe. The ``pact'' conforms to the classic parliamentary dictum that ``the Government must have its way and the Opposition should have its say''.

The Congress managers are proceeding on the assumption that the Government would keep its word on the JPC, a word sanctified in the Speaker's chamber. After the ``summit'', Mr. Mahajan noted, as a matter of fact, that unless the two Houses discussed the Tehelka matter and unless there was a resolution in both the Houses on the need for a JPC, no joint panel could theoretically be conceded or constituted.

Though the shape of the ``pact'' had been negotiated by the floor-managers, a formal ``summit'' did take place in the Speaker's chamber. In a courtesy move, the Prime Minister had earlier sent an invitation to Ms. Gandhi for the meeting. Playing host, Mr. Balayogi complimented the leaders for a belated truce but articulated his ``unpleasant'' experience of having to preside over the Lok Sabha when the Railway budget got passed in the most undignified manner. The Speaker put on record his appreciation of the helpful approach of Mr. Mahajan and Mr. Scindia.

On his part, Mr. Vajpayee referred to his letter to Ms. Gandhi as well as to her reply and then put on record that his Government had an ``open mind'' on the JPC demand. He added, ``We are ready to do so.'' Ms. Gandhi, in turn, referred to her reply to the letter, and argued that her party was not exactly happy that parliamentary business was getting disrupted but remained insistent on raising the Tehelka issue because it was a matter of national security.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Next     : Jaswant hopes Dhaka will act against killers