Budget Session Part II likely to be stormy

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) The second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament, beginning tomorrow, is likely to be stormy with the Opposition and Left parties pinning down the UPA Government on the major issues of 'unbridled' price rise, farmers' plight and Special Economic Zones (SEZ).

The arrest of BJP MP Babubhai Katara for human trafficking will however dominate the first day's proceedings in the Lok Sabha.

The Katara issue also figured today at the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to seek the cooperation of leaders of various parties and also to apprise them of the government business to be taken up.

Mr Chatterjee has already announced that the Katara issue had been taken very seriously by almost all parties and he will be giving his ruling tomorrow on the near consensus arrived at the meeting.

BJP is demanding that Katara issue and other related matters like that of the ''tainted'' ministers be referred to the Ethics Committee which is however being opposed by other parties.

As BJP Leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra puts it, Katara issue should not be singled out, while ''tainted'' ministers are continuing in the government. "There should be equal yardstick for all," he said.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram's scheduled foreign tour from May 6 to 10 is likely to become another major issue as majority of parties have taken exception to it, saying he should avoid this visit in view of the Finance Bill to be discussed in Parliament.

Role of judiciary and OBC reservation in government aided private educational institutions are among other issues which are expected to be discussed during the session. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said that Parliament would play its role on the OBC issue. On the Role of judiciary, he said they were expecting a short-duration discussion on the issue. Earlier the party had been seeking a calling attention motion on it.

Besides price rise and SEZ, the BJP will be raising the issues of deteriorating internal security scenario, 'soft' policy towards terrorists, the extradition of Bofors prime accused Ottavio Quattrocchi in addition to 'cross' embossed on Rs 2 coin which, Mr Malhotra said, was the first time that the Indian currency was carrying a religious symbol.

UNI