With the government signalling its resolve to carry out legislative business in Parliament despite the deadlock, opposition Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday said that ruling alliance must ensure “wider consultation” on bills like those on land acquisition and food security.
“I want to caution the government not to rush through bills like on land acquisition and food security on the pretext of deadlock in Parliament. Such deadlocks have happened earlier also.
“There are many members in Parliament who are concerned about these bills. The government should move forward on these bills only after wider consultations,” JD (U) chief Sharad Yadav told reporters here.
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The government, he said, can either go for an all-party meeting to discuss these issues or consult the experts and farmer leaders in Parliament individually before making any forward movement.
Mr. Yadav, who is also the convenor of NDA, said that his party is with the alliance’ decision on the coal blocks allocation issue but remained evasive on whether he was demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister on the matter.
“We are with NDA’s decision. It is NDA’s collective decision. In a meeting, many people say many things. But once a decision is taken, it is taken. BJP is the largest party in the NDA alliance and it has taken a decision. We are with it.
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Sushama Swaraj and Arun Jaitley have explained the decision.
The statements of others suggesting any rift in the alliance should be ignored,” the JD (U) chief said.
Mr. Yadav, at the same time, pointed out that CAG has pointed out irregularities in not only coal blocks issue but also in aviation and power. “We should not forget that CAG has given three reports,” he said, adding that JPC and PAC are Parliamentary institutions and to say that no result comes out of them is “unfortunate”.
Mr. Yadav’s comments are significant as they come in the backdrop of reports of unease within the JD (U) on BJP’s stand on disrupting Parliament and some other parties not backing NDA in this regard.