The first impact of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati’s arrest on the forthcoming Winter session of Parliament was felt on Monday when the BJP’s protest fast meant party leaders could not attend Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s goodwill dinner. The dinner was called off.On a 24-hour fast to protest the arrest of the Kanchi Acharya, the BJP pulled out of the dinner, which, it was hoped, would create bonhomie between the Congress-led ruling UPA and the BJP-led Opposition ahead of the Winter session.Confirming that the party had earlier agreed to attend the dinner, V.K. Malhotra from the BJP said the decision not to attend was taken in view of the developments arising out of the pontiff’s arrest.‘‘I spoke to the Speaker in the morning and conveyed to him our regrets as all of us are observing a 24-hour fast to protest the treatment meted to the Shankaracharya,’’ he said.Former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, BJP President L.K. Advani, BJP leader in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant singh, Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sushma Swaraj, BJP Chief whip S.S. Ahluwalia were among those invited from the BJP.The all-party meeting slated for Tuesday morning, to evolve a consensus on ensuring the smooth functioning of Parliament in the Winter Session beginning on December 1, will be held as scheduled. The meeting will be presided by Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.The Speaker has already held separate meetings with the Congress, BJP and the other non-Congress, non-BJP parties, and all have assured him of ensuring smooth functioning of the House. The BJP however, did make a few noises about the short duration of the Winter session.Monday’s dinner meeting was part of an exercise by the Speaker to get all parties to ensure a smooth Parliament session in the light of the fact that much of the two previous sessions was marked by disruptions and stormy scenes.Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commissioner Aziz Khan called on Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday. Chatterjee, who presented the tropy to the winning Pakistan cricket team after they won the ‘Friendship match’ in Kolkata, said the goodwill between the people of both countries was steadily increasing. Chatterjee was told that a delegation of Pakistani Parliamentary members would soon visit New Delhi.
