LS impasse shows no sign of thaw after meeting of pol leaders

The ongoing impasse in the Lok Sabha over a spate of thorny issues including the PNB scam is likely to continue this week in Parliament, with a multi-party meeting convened by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to ease the situation making little headway today.
The Speaker, however, expressed the hope the deadlock would be resolved in a day or two and the house would function normally.
At the 90-minute meeting of the leaders of political parties, Mahajan raised the issue of ending the stalemate and urged floor leaders of all parties not to create disruptions or hold up placards, stressing that the actions gave a bad image to the institution.

"Let's see, maybe tomorrow or a day after, some solution will work out. Some result will come out, I am sure," Mahajan told reporters after the meeting.
She said she had requested all the parties to ensure the smooth functioning of the Lok Sabha.
"Everyone wants to raise their issues and the chair will allow them, but everything cannot happen there and then," she said.

Mahajan said she pointed out that Parliament had its own way of resolving issues.
"There are some issues that cannot be resolved the way one wants. Everyone has put forth their own issues and problems. I have said that Parliament has its own way of resolving issues," she said, adding that she had asked the leaders of all parties to talk among themselves.

The disruption in the Lok Sabha did not present a good image of the House to the country and the world, she said, pointing out that people watched the proceedings in Parliament from India and abroad.
Mahajan also told the leaders that members should not carry placards as the act went against House rules.
"Showing placards, coming to the well and creation of disruption are not as per the rules," she said.
The leaders also raised the issues of their respective parties with the Speaker and urged her to allow them to bring them up in the House.
However, she said all issues of states could not be raised unless they were of public importance, sources said.

Among those who attended the meeting were deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and his deputy Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP's Rakesh Singh, Congress leaders KC Venugopal and KH Muniyappa, TMC's Saugata Roy and Kalyan Banerjee, Left leaders MB Rajesh and PK Sreemathi Teacher and the Shiv Sena's Anandrao Adsul.
Also present were BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab, TDP's Narasimham Thota, RPI's NK Premchandran, AAP's Bhagwant Mann, Kerala Congress's Jose K Mani and AP Jithender Reddy and M Raju.
Some opposition leaders present at the meet said the issue remained unresolved as there was no unanimity on the rule under which a discussion on the banking scam was to be held. The Opposition has also been insisting that the discussions be held under a rule which entails voting.

After the meeting, Ananth Kumar said, "The ball is in the Opposition's court because they never expected that we will accept (their demand) for a discussion with such transparency and such speed. The Opposition is in the dock."
He said the Speaker urged all party leaders for a smooth transaction of business and running of the Lok Sabha.
Kumar said many issues needed to be discussed, especially the banking scam, but this could only happen when the house was in order.
"We feel that the Congress is running away from the debate. They also have their own opinion and opposition (to discussions) about irregularities happening over the years. They insist that 'over the years' should not be there," he told reporters.

Kumar said the government was ready to discuss the issue, but the Congress now wanted it to be discussed under a different rule.
"We are asking, why? What do you want to hide?...Whatever happened in PNB started in 2011. Therefore, be open. Let the truth come out before the people of India," he said at the meeting.
He said when the government was ready for discussions, they (the Congress) were insisting on another rule after the speaker had accepted the notice and fixed up a date for a debate.
"You suddenly get up because of new-found 'gyan' (wisdom) by the Congress president returning from Italy and you change the entire stand. What is this," he asked.

"They have to take Parliament seriously. Parliament is in session. We have a lot of financial business to do and we are ready to discuss the matter in both the houses of Parliament," Kumar said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to reply to the debate on financial irregularities.
A discussion on 'Alleged systemic irregularities in the banking sector over the years and its impact on the Indian economy' was listed for discussion on the day's list of business.