Cong concerned over 2G deadlock extending to Budget Session

New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI) As the confrontation betweenGovernment and Opposition is escalating, concern is growing inthe Congress over the repercussions of the stalemate on theJPC issue extending to the Budget session next month.

Amid no signs of resolution to the deadlock that washedout the entire winter session last month, ruling party leadersare hoping against hope that a way out is found quick and faston the issue of Joint Parliamentary Committee into 2G scam.

"The message that the world''s largest democracy ishaving a non-functioning Parliament will not be good for us,"was the reaction of a senior Congress leader, who declined tobe identified.

The Budget session is a three-month long affair whichgenerally starts in the third week of February and ends inMay. It has a three-week recess in between to help theParliamentary Standing Committees to go into the demands forgrants of various ministries.

Another party leader, who is a Union Minister, said thatpassage of bills through voice vote in the din caused by theopposition could not be resorted to for long.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is likely to make a freshendeavour to break the Parliament deadlock on the 2G Spectrumscam by calling leaders of political parties, who could notjoin her a fortnight back to discuss the issue, ahead of theBudget Session.

The concern in the Congress comes against the backdrop ofthe just-concluded BJP National Executive at Guwahati whichgave an unmistakable signal that the confrontation appears setto worsen ahead of Budget Session.

The BJP has pulled out all stops to make corruption as amajor issue in the wake of a series of scams and has givenenough hints that smooth conduct of the Budget session couldbe in jeopardy if its demand for JPC is not met.