Judeo, PSUs, Telgi to warm Winter Session

Both Houses were adjourned this morning without conducting any business to mourn the deaths of sitting MPs in the inter-session period. With the results of the Assembly polls available only on Thursday, tomorrow will be a crucial day for the opposition to launch its offensive.

Although the Assembly election results have no direct bearing on Parliament, political leaders privately admit that it would affect the morale of the two main parties and determine the nature and tempo of discussions in the House. In case the BJP manages a 3-1 score, the NDA government will be far more aggressive in meeting the opposition onslaught. Conversely, a good showing by the Congress will give the party’s performance an added punch. Today’s meeting, attended by veterans such as Chandra Shekhar (SJP) and Sharad Pawar (NCP) as well representatives of SP, BSP, RLD, National Conference, Kerala Congress (Joseph), and Akali Dal (Maan), also decided to raise the violent fallout of the Railway Recruitment Board exams in Assam and Maharashtra ‘‘in a big way,’’ Chatterjee said.

The Opposition parties also decided to raise the Ayodhya issue this week—by now a customary ritual on every anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. Since December 6 falls on a Saturday, the issue will be raised on Friday, Chatterjee said.

Asked whether the Samajwadi Party was also party to the decision, Chatterjee said, ‘‘I am sure Mulayam Singh Yadav does not approve of the demolition of the Babri Masjid.’’ He, however, added that the CPI(M) had already made it clear that it did not approve of the UP government’s diluted affidavit on the demolition case.

The Telgi stamp case would also be taken up, Chatterjee said. At the Congress briefing later in the evening, Jaipal Reddy reiterated the opposition’s decision to move an adjournment motion ‘‘on corruption getting more rampant and more and more naked under the NDA government.’’

On the Judeo issue, Reddy said since the prime minister had asked Judeo to quit as minister, he must ‘‘explain the circumstances under which the whole thing took place.’’ The Prime Minister must also explain what exchanges took place between him and the CVC on the PSU controversy, both Reddy and Chatterjee said.

Reddy also said the ‘‘multi-state fake stamp scam’’ would be raised for discussion and the opposition would demand a statement from the government. In reply to a question, he said, ‘‘The Congress has always stood for transparent and open-ended enquiry into the stamp scam … we are ready for any enquiry.’’