Cong calls for RS session on Kargil

However, this evening, Congress leader Manmohan Singh met President K R Narayanan and handed over a three-page letter urging him to call an emergency session. The Government may now find it difficult to refuse the demand.

Although most Opposition parties have been pushing for a RS session, the Congress continued to dither as it mulled over the pros and cons of a parliamentary debate which would most likely end in a resolution of support for the Government8217;s efforts to flush out the infiltrators.

Such a resolution would make it difficult for the party to use the Kargil issue and related blunders such as the intelligence failure and the controversial statements by George Fernandes to flog the BJP, it was felt.

However, Congress strategists realised that the continued silence would be misunderstood and so today, it not only demanded a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, it also asked for an institutionalised process of consultations8217; between Government and Opposition.

In fact, the Congress went a step further to press for the entire gamut of government decisions to be put under the Opposition8217;s microscope, particularly those which have overturned approved policies. Party general secretary Pranab Mukherjee said these include the appointment of an ad hoc chairman of Prasar Bharati and the disinvestment in Indian Airlines which even the President wanted clarified.

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav also called for a RS session today.

Manmohan Singh8217;s letter to the President suggested that an acrimonious debate in the RS could be avoided by defining the ambit of the debate provided the Government 8220;shares all the information it can with the House.8221;