Holding that it was the Opposition’s “prerogative” to raise issues, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the government must take the Opposition into confidence to resolve the logjam in Parliament. She suggested convening an all-party meeting was one way of doing this.
Talking to reporters after meeting with Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram here on Thursday, Ms. Banerjee said the Opposition could raise issues but indicated that it was for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to decide whether or not to accept the demand for his resignation. Ms. Banerjee said a meeting of all political parties was the need of the day to resolve the standoff between the government and the Opposition. “We must take Opposition into confidence. There are so many big issues and it can be sorted out through talks, negotiation and discussion,” she said.
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“Parliament is a foundation of the democratic system. Our view is that if any issue or scandal is raised then there must be full debate on it,’’ she said.
Responding to the demand for Dr. Singh’s resignation, she said “Opposition parties can raise it.”
Normal business in Parliament remained suspended for the third consecutive day with the main Opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, unrelenting on its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over CAG report citing irregularities in coal blocks allocation.
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Reiterating her stand party’s stand on Foreign Direct Investment, Ms Banerjee said: “We are not in favour of FDI. Whether in insurance, aviation or retail, we are against FDI. We stand by our manifesto and we are for common people. We would not deviate from it.”
In the capital for the UPA's coordination committee yesterday, Ms Banerjee also made a courtesy call to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.