By IANS
New Delhi : The opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not accessible to its chief ministers and stalling the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, even as the government denied any discrimination.
The house was adjourned for nearly 20 minutes during Zero Hour when NDA members, joined by those of the Samajwadi Party, made the charge. Proceedings were resumed only after Home Minister Shivraj Patil reassured them that there was no discrimination against the NDA chief ministers.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) member B.J. Panda stated that Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had sought an appointment with the prime minister to discuss issues related to the state’s development but he was not given any time.
The state was concerned about the proposed national mining policy, Panda pointed out.
The Congress members were immediately on their legs to defend the prime minister. This caused commotion as several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members led by Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and S.S. Ahluwalia began to speak simultaneously in spite of repeated appeals by Chairman Hamid Ansari to maintain decorum.
The chair asked Ajay Maroo of the BJP to associate with the subject. But Maroo made a long speech despite a commitment earlier to just associating with the earlier speaker.
Maroo and Rudra Narayan Pany, another BJP member from Orissa, alleged that the prime minister had refused to meet the NDA chief ministers.
With the opposition members not heeding to the chair’s entreaties, Ansari finally adjourned the house first for 10 minutes and then for another 10 minutes, delaying External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s reply to a debate on the India-US civilian nuclear deal.
As soon as the house resumed proceedings, Patil rose to assure the members, “The prime minister is very happy to meet the chief ministers and any ministers. Why only ministers – even the MLAs from the states.
“In this particular case (of the mining policy), a Group of Ministers (headed by Patil) was constituted. When the chief ministers wanted to meet him (the prime minister), it was suggested that they first meet the GoM and we were happy to meet for nearly two hours. They were also told that if they had any more suggestions they could send them in writing.”
The home minister added, “The matter will go to the cabinet and thereafter it will be placed even before the house.”