The Government and the Congress spoke in different voices today over the preconditions for ending the party’s boycott of Defence Minister George Fernandes. A day after working out a formula for ending the impasse, both sides stuck to technicalities today allowing the matter to simmer over the weekend. While the Congress said it ‘‘could consider ending the impasse’’ if a discussion on the Tehelka tapes took place in both Houses, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj turned down the demand. Yesterday’s formula was that a discussion in the Rajya Sabha should end the impasse in both Houses. Not wanting to look too eager to give in to the formula for ending the 18-month-old impasse, Congress leaders insisted there should be discussions in both Houses for the impasse to end. The Congress is expected to sort the matter out at a meeting of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee on Monday morning. Speaking soon after the Congress demand, Swaraj said: ‘‘If the official position of the Congress is to have a discussion in both Houses, then we will not have it in either House.’’ ‘‘It was their idea to end the impasse and to have a discussion on Tehelka in Rajya Sabha. At the initiatives by the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker, I was told that a discussion in Rajya Sabha could help in ending the impasse,’’ she said. ‘‘Now, how can they say that it should in both the Houses? They cannot back out now,’’ she said, and added, ‘‘If this is the official position of the Congress then there can be no discussion.’’ She also raised objections about the request for postponing Fernandes’ statement on the Tanda incident, hoping the impasse could end by then. ‘‘Yesterday, the Government listed the business including statement on Akhnoor but the Opposition suggested that it should be rescheduled for after the Tehelka discussion,’’ she said. ‘‘They said that if he speaks in Lok Sabha then there would be some bad blood created and it would be difficult to break the impasse,’’ she said. ‘‘Why did they not tell us then that they wanted a discussion in both Houses?’’ she added. Fernandes would now make the statement on Tuesday. On whether the Government would consider a notice for discussion in Lok Sabha, she said the ‘‘question does not arise’’. Earlier, Congress spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said: ‘‘There are notices for discussion on Tehelka from Congress in both Houses. The Government’s first responsibility is to the Lok Sabha because there are people’s representatives in this House.’’ ‘‘That is why traditionally, all important matters are discussed in Lok Sabha. So why should Tehelka discussion be only in the Rajya Sabha? It should be held in both Houses,’’ he said.
