Breaking ranks with Congress, the Samajwadi Party on Monday asked the party to allow a debate in Parliament on the issues it was raking up or boycott it.
At a meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav told Congress leaders to spell out their demand for breaking the logjam in the House, allow the Minister concerned and government to answer their allegations and end the matter through debate.
Adopting an aggressive stand on the continued logjam, Mr. Yadav said the deadlock should be broken and those making allegations and those against whom charges are made have a right to speak in Parliament and explain their position before the people of the country and the disruption should end.
This came as a surprise to Congress as Mr. Yadav had last week extended his party’s support to Congress after 25 of its members were suspended by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The party had also boycotted proceedings in the Lok Sabha.
Parliament sources said government favours a debate under Rule 193 on “Issues arising out of IPL controversy” in Lok Sabha and the issue may be listed on Tuesday.
Sources said Mulayam Singh Yadav stumped Congress saying that he was not aware of its demands and that his party would spell out his stand only after hearing their demand and if it considered so to support them.
He reportedly said at the meeting that everyone has a right to speak in Parliament and put their point across in the House. He questioned how the Congress can continue to create pandemonium and not allow the House to function.
Mr. Yadav said that the Congress either speak inside the House and parties will decide their support thereafter or should boycott the House and go to the people directly.
The SP supremo cited his own party’s stand earlier when they boycotted the Uttar Pradesh assembly for 52 days and spoke directly to the public through a mass contact programme.
He also claimed that he had enough experience of being an 11-time MLA and six-time MP in saying that everyone has right to speak, including those against whom allegations are made.
Sources said that TMC members were also in favour of the House functioning and that a discussion should take place after accepting Congress’ adjournment motion and not through a debate under rule 193.
Mr. Yadav had earlier in the day suggested in the Lok Sabha that the Speaker call leaders of various parties to break the logjam but that did not find favour with Congress. The Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was seen saying “no” and party leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that the SP leader was giving his views.
As Mr. Yadav again sought to press his point, Ms. Gandhi was seen telling partymen to resume slogan shouting in the Well, which was temporarily stopped when the SP chief was speaking.
TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay also said that everyone should speak in the House, including Congress and government and debate the issue instead of creating stalemate. He, however, was not in agreement with government seeking a debate under Rule 193 on the issue.
“Let the government accept the adjournment motion of Congress and start a discussion on the IPL controversy and TMC will take part in that as we want the House to function,” he told PTI .
The meeting convened by Speaker at noon was attended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaih Naidu, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jyotiraditya Scindia and K.C. Venugopal, RJD leader Jaiprakash Yadav, JD(U)’s Kaushalendra Kumar, TMC leaders Sudeep Bandyopadhyaya and Saugata Roy, NCP’s Supriya Sule and AAP’s Bhagwant Mann.
Earlier, Mr. Naidu called up Mr. Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad in the morning to find a way out to end the logjam in Parliament.
