Expressing concern over the erosion of supremacy of Parliament,leaders of political parties at a meeting here on Thursday pleaded for a response by Parliament to the Supreme Court judgment barring a person from contesting an election while being in jail or in police custody. The apex court decision on the issue of reservation in the recruitment of super-specialty faculty at AIIMS also came under criticism at the all-party meeting convened by the government to discuss business for the monsoon session of Parliament. The session will get underway from August 5. Speaker Meira Kumar has convened another meeting of Lok Sabha floor leaders for August 3. The government was represented by Finance Minister P Chidambaram,Home Minister and Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Sushil Kumar Shinde,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and his junior colleagues. We will sit and decide, a cautious Kamal Nath said when asked about the government response. He said the leaders favoured introduction and passage of the National Judicial Commission Bill during the ensuing session. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters after the meeting: Some recent (court) decisions have come..There is a decision in which it was said that even if you are in police custody even for a day during polls,you cannot contest an election.. There should be a review of such decisions and if there is a need for some amendment,it should come. Janata Dal(U) president Sharad Yadav wondered how can you expect a smooth session when the Supreme Court has come out with a judgment which has affected 80 per cent of the people belonging to SCs,STs and OBCs? CPI leader D Raja said there was a consensus at the meeting that the supremacy of Parliament should be maintained and Parliament should give an appropriate response to SC judgments on certain issues. The session is slated to conclude on August 30. It will have 16 sittings. The government has lined up 44 Bills which will be taken up for consideration. As many as 14 are set for introduction and another six for being withdrawn. The two Houses have to take up the the National Food Security Bill,which has already taken effect as an ordinance. Swaraj told reporters: The BJP demands that the government bring a Bill to create Telangana. Because it is a decision of the Congress party... It will be considered a government decision,when the Bill will come.. We will fully support the Bill and ensure its passage. Whatever is the legal process,it has to be followed, Kamal Nath said with regard to the formation of Telangana. Parties differed on the issue at the meeting. The AGP felt it would fuel similar demands in Assam,West Bengal,Maharashtra,Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. This will affect not only Andhra Pradesh but other parts of the country, AGP leader Birendra Pirasad Baishya said. Trinamool leader Sudip Bandopadhyaya said,One announcement by the government (about Telangana) before elections has caused tremendous difficulties.
