Day after food Bill,BJP looks at blunting Congress edge

In this backdrop,Rajya Sabha MP Piyush Goyal is learnt to have drawn the attention of the party leadership to the fact that there appeared confusion in popular perception about whether the BJP was in support or against the legislation.

Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj,in this context,is learnt to have told party MPs to tell the electorate that the BJP was in support and had highlighted certain improvements through their amendments but it was ignored by the government.

“The party explained as to how its most reasonable pro-poor amendments have been rejected,” party deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the BJP parliamentary party meeting. Party MPs were also told that they need to corner the Congress’s record over the years to puncture their tall claims of granting food guarantee.

“This Bill has been passed,but the Congress also needs to realise that if India suffers from malnutrition and hunger,the primary responsibility is that of the Congress party which has ruled for so long,” Prasad said.

The issue of missing coal block allocation files were also briefly discussed at the meeting. The party leaders are learnt to have decided to scrutinise the CBI affidavit to the Supreme Court on Tuesday and corner the government on this issue in its next sitting. “We will seek clarifications from the Prime Minister on the missing files because there is involvement of the PMO as well,” Prasad said.