CPI(M) seeks Chair's protection to raise issues of public importance

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) The CPI(M) today sought the protection of the Chair in both Houses of Parliament to raise issues of public importance including the Indo-US nuclear deal, fake encounters, the Sachar Committee findings and price rise while accusing BJP, the main opposition party, for the ''unabated disruptions''.

''The precious time of Parliament is being wasted and no discussion is being allowed while the Gujarat fake encounter issue has attracted the attention of the media and the nation as a whole,'' CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury, Mohd Salim and Rupchand Pal told mediapersons, at a briefing in the premises of Parliament.

They also regretted that even no discussion took place on the Demand for Grants on Agriculture despite all the assurances.

Mr Yechury, the party parliamentary group leader, said that since the Gujarat fake encounter issue related to three BJP-ruled states and Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh, the Rajya Sabha was the ''right forum'' for discussing the issue.

Reacting to the disruptions by the BJP, Mr Pal said that he has sought ''support and protection'' from the Chair to raise the issues.

On the Election Commission's ruling that the BJP condemn and apologise for its controversial CD, which contains communal content, the Left leader said that their stand was that the saffron party apologise for the same.

Answering a specific query on whether the party agreed with the EC's ruling, Mr Yechury maintained that there was ''no question of our agreeing or not agreeing... the moot quesiton is that the EC is a constitutional authority... It is a law in itself.'' ''If the BJP fails to comply with the EC ruling, then the constitutional body has got every right to take recourse to other legal methods,'' he said, adding that it was true that the EC could not prevent the BJP from using the CD for political purposes during the seven-phased UP polls which culminated only yesterday.

The Left leaders charged the BJP with stalling discussions on urgent public issues, adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was expected to reiterate on the floor of Parliament that the government would not give in to US pressure and stick to its assurances.

On the government's ability to contain price rise, they said unless a ban is imposed on forward trading, ''neither growth nor containing price rise would be possible.'' UNI