The Hindu : National : BJP will not boycott session

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Friday, Jul 22, 2005

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National

BJP will not boycott session

Special Correspondent

Several issues to be taken up strongly

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have let it be known they would like to see the House run in the monsoon session of Parliament. The party will not "boycott' the proceedings and several issues will be taken up.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Wednesday hosted lunch for BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, V.K. Malhotra and Santosh Gangawar to discuss the session beginning on Monday. While Mr. Chatterjee assured them that the Opposition would be allowed to have its say within the rules of the House, the BJP leaders expressed their keenness to raise issues on the floor rather than continue the "boycott" witnessed in the Budget session.

Mr. Malhotra told reporters that his party would serve notice for an adjournment motion for a discussion on the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, recently struck down by the Supreme Court. It was keen on raising the issue of terrorism, with reference to the attack at Ayodhya and the incidents in Kashmir. "The Prime Minister's praise for British imperialism in his speech delivered at Oxford will also be raised," Mr. Malhotra said.

Mr. Malhotra described the luncheon meeting as "cordial." The party told the Speaker that the BJP and its NDA allies would expect to get the Opposition space that was their due. "Earlier, if two days were devoted to government business, two days would be allotted for discussion of issues raised by the Opposition. We made the point that the Left parties should not be accommodated in the Opposition space as they are supporting the Government," Mr. Malhotra said.

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