A couple of hours after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi made it known that the government would work for rescheduling the Budget Session, the opposition NDA emphatically told the government not to curtail the sittings of Houses on this pretext.Sources said the government’s move to reschedule the session dominated the discussions among opposition leaders at the residence of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee this evening. They said the leaders were of the view that the Manmohan Singh regime should not be allowed to use UP polls as a pretext to avoid a proper debate on burning issues like price-rise, SEZs, farmers’ suicides and national security.Speaking after the meeting, BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said: “They should not use UP polls as an excuse to cut down the session. The government must immediately let us know how does it want to reschedule the session.” Having said it, he took a clear position: “We do not expect them to curtail the first phase of the session — we do not want any reduction in the proposed 42 days’ sittings.”The NDA leaders, according to George Fernandes, adopted a resolution condemning the “harassment of the media” in Andhra Pradesh. Referring to the raids on Margdarsi Financiers, owned by Eenadu proprietor Ramoji Rao, Fernandes said the government action “reminds us of Indira Gandhi and her dictatorial ways.” “This Government is moving in the same direction,” he added. Malhotra said the current campaign against the Eenadu group was reminiscent of the Emergency. The opposition plans raising the matter in both Houses. Naturally, by making a cause with Telugu Desam on the issue, the BJP would be addressing its potential ally too. Malhotra said the NDA had given notices under both Rules — 193 and 184 — for a discussion on the price-rise on February 27, a day before the Budget is presented. He said the alliance had decided to oppose FDI in retail trade.
