Oppn digs in heels on House panels, govt may dilute stand

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday accused the government of not being bothered about democratic norms and being eager to pass legislations without scrutiny, upping the ante against BJP on a day the opposition parties held more discussions to finalise their strategy to take on the Centre . The opposition bloc has decided against letting seven-eight key bills pass in the Rajya Sabha without being referred to parliamentary committees for scrutiny.
A mid the brewing trouble, sources said government representatives met Congress leaders on Wednesday and there appears a possibility of some key bills being referred to select committees in the Rajya sabha. However, there is no finality yet.
T he first test of the renewed battle-lines may come on Thursday when the controversial RTI amendment bill is taken up. The opposition has made it clear that the bill should be referred to a select panel for vetting. If the government does not agree, then it could result in protests.
T hough this session was going on without incident, the government's refusal to accede to the opposition demand that the Prime Minister reply on the controversy over US President Donald Trump's claim that Narendra Modi him to mediate in Kashmir, has renewed hostilities . A clutch of issues, especially the demand for referral of bills to parliamentary panels, has stoked the anger in the anti-BJP bloc.
C ongress leader Sonia Gandhi met leaders of various parties to forge a common stand in Parliament. Trinamool and SP stayed away from the meeting held in the Congress office but have been part of the discussions held by Azad in his chamber. Azad said, "The important bills should be sent to parliamentary panels. ...If the government does not accept this demand, then what is the point in attending Parliament?"