LoP row: Congress, Govt trade barbs

Congress and Government today traded barbs over the post of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha with the main opposition even bringing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in its line of fire on the issue.
Amarinder Singh, who is the Congress' deputy leader in the House, said the party has written to the Speaker, who is new, staking claim for the post and she is yet to take a decision.
"This means a decision will be taken in consultation with the government. This means whatever the government will want will happen," he told reporters in Parliament complex.
Another senior Congress leader Kamal Nath added his bit to the criticism of the Speaker saying "some partie are feeling that many of the issues which they want to raise are not being given importance which they need to be given."

The government side reacted angrily saying the Congress' views reflected its "desperation" while Mahajan declined to wade into the LoP controversy.
Mahajan maintained that it was her endeavour to give equal time to all. "This is indeed my effort that all parties get equal chance to speak and I am striving for it," she told reporters.
Asserting that the post of Leader of Opposition Sabha is its "right", the Congress party accused the government of playing "petty politics" over the issue and hoped Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will not allow her judgement to be "coloured" by various shades of politics.