Expressing concern over the BJP not appearing to be working in tandem in both Houses of Parliament, senior leader Yashwant Sinha, it was learnt, raised the issue in the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday. In the meeting, which was held in the morning before the Houses met, it was decided that the main Opposition will raise the issue of missing coal block allocation files and the matter pertaining to the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to stop the VHP from holding a religious procession in Ayodhya.
A section within the BJP is of the view that the party needs to be more aggressive with the government in Parliament, especially at a time when crucial polls are few months away.
Sources disclosed Mr Sinha, the BJP’s Hazaribagh MP, expressed concern over the party not being aggressive enough towards the government in the Rajya Sabha unlike in the Lower House where the Opposition has not allowed the UPA to have its way on several issues. But Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley countered it by saying that it was not correct. Mr Jaitley, it was learnt, cited the issues of Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari’s “federation of anarchists” remark and naming of 20 BJP members in the parliamentary bulletin for disrupting the proceedings, which were taken up by the party aggressively.
Mr Sinha, sources disclosed, claimed that the party has pushed the government on the backfoot on several issues in the Lok Sabha while it is very cooperative in the Rajya Sabha.
While Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had categorically told the government that the BJP will not support the Insurance Bill and it should not be brought in this session, the Upper House recently passed the Companies Bill and other legislation. It also held discussions on important issues. Though the Opposition cornered the government in the Upper House on the killing of five Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces and defence minister A.K. Antony’s flip-flop on the issue, it allowed discussions on other issues.
The Lok Sabha, on the other hand, has seen the government fire-fighting with the Opposition and failing to debate on issues like the Food Security Bill.