Katara case, UP polls may overshadow Par session

New Delhi, Apr 23: The Left parties today said they will raise SEZ, price rise and other outstanding issues in the second phase of the Budget session of Parliament, beginning on Thursday, which is likely to be overshadowed by the UP assembly results and Katara human trafficking scandal.

The nearly one-month-session assumes special significance in the light of the recent arrest of BJP MP Babubhai Katara on charges of smuggling of a woman and a boy to Toronto on the passports of his wife and son.

Equally crucial are the UP assembly poll results, pregnant with the possibility of new political alignments.

Top Parliamentary leaders of CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and RSP told sources they would also focus on legislation to provide social security and better service condtions for over 370 million unorganised workers and agriculture labour force among other things.

CPI Lok Sabha leader Gurudas Dasgupta said," the session will be crucial. The outstanding issues like the price rise, which has badly hit the poor, the lower and the middle classes will be taken up for discussion which could not take place due to disruption of proceedings of the House." The veteran Parliamentarian and Communist, Mr Dasgupta said the Katara episode would definitely come up in the House." It will impact on the mood of the House but to what extent, I can not say." CPI(M) Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Mohammad Salim said," the most crucial agenda of the House will be to get the General Budget passed and the passage of other financial bills, without which the government can not proceed." " There are several bills which could not be taken up becuase of the disruption of the House proceedings by the BJP and its allies in the NDA," the CPI(M) leader said.

Mr Salim said the Left would demand discussion on Katara episode despite the displeasure of the BJP even as its leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani asserted that' trafficking episode is not a sign of moral degradation of his party.' The worsening communal situation in various parts of the country would also be raised, the CPI(M) leader said.

RSP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abani Roy said the government might try to bring in legislation to enlarge the ambit of FDI from existing 26 to 49 per cent in the insurance sector, banking and other reforms, but the Left would oppose all these attempts tooth and nail.

Forward Bloc leader and Rajya Sabha MP Debvrat Biswas said necessary steps would have be taken to ensure that both the Houses conduct the business in proper and unhindered way." During the first phase, Price rise could not be taken up for even a single day because of disruption of the House."

UNI