The Hindu : Front Page : No JPC on deal, says Dasmunsi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

No JPC on deal, says Dasmunsi

Special Correspondent

Rules out mid-term elections

Text of deal circulated to party leaders before parliamentary debate on August 29
‘Nothing will be done that would benefit the communal forces’

NEW DELHI: There is no crisis and no threat of mid-term elections to the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said here on Monday even as he categorically rejected the Opposition demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to look into the India-United States nuclear deal.

He conceded that the government was duty-bound to answer all queries regarding the deal and clear all doubts expressed by the supporting Left parties. “The proper forum for that is Parliament. Wait for the parliamentary debate on the nuclear deal and the government’s reply to the debate,” he said. The full text of the deal had been circulated to all party leaders, the text was being translated into Hindi and would be given to the MPs to enable them to study the issue before the debate, now expected to take place around August 29, he said.

The government would answer all the questions related to the Left demand for holding in abeyance talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Dasmunsi said.

The National Democratic Alliance’s demand for a JPC at its meeting on Monday morning and a similar demand voiced by the United National Progressive Alliance at a press conference were rejected by Mr. Dasmunsi. “Is the nuclear deal a scam that a JPC has to look into it,” he asked.

Mr. Dasmunsi was confident that the Left would not bring a motion of no-confidence against the Government. “Nothing will be done that would benefit the communal forces,” he said.

As for the BJP bringing such a motion, its leader Arun Jaitley said: “When the ruling alliance is trying to commit suicide, why should we intervene?”

Expert panel opposed

BJP leader V.K. Malhotra said the NDA opposed the idea of an expert committee evaluating the text of the agreement.

“This is not a family matter of the United Progressive Alliance and the Left. There should be a parliamentary committee to look at the issue.”

The UNPA — the Samajwadi Party, the Telugu Desam Party, the AIADMK — demanded ratification of the agreement by Parliament while confirming that Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) and Amar Singh (SP) were in touch with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on the current situation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page