Par impasse to continue, NDA to act tough

New Delhi, Sept 7: The impasse between the Treasury and the Opposition benches in Parliament is likely to continue as the NDA today decided to stay firm on its demand for the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine the Indo-US nuclear deal.

NDA leaders, who met at the chambers of Leader of the Opposition L K Advani in Parliament House, reviewed the situation and reiterated their decision to press for a JPC to examine the nuclear deal. They would also insist on a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament under rules which entailed voting, BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.

The meeting, which lasted less than 15 minutes, was attended by leaders from the BJP, the Shiv Sena, the Janata Dal (United), the Biju Janata Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).

Parliament could virtually not function in the last two days as slogan-shouting BJP MPs stalled the proceedings, demanding setting up of a JPC in place of the UPA-Left 15-member panel to go into the deal.

The BJP has termed the panel a ''partisan and private'' mechanism and sought a discussion under Rule 184 in the Lok Sabha and Rule 168 in the Rajya Sabha.

UNI