With Opp unrelenting, govt needs to come up with new proposal

New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) With the BJP and the Leftunrelenting on the JPC demand, tomorrow''s governmentinitiative to break the deadlock in Parliament could makeheadway if Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee comes up withsome new proposal acceptable to the opposition.

On the eve of Mukherjee''s meeting with leaders ofpolitical parties, in a bid to ''save'' the three-month longBudget Session, CPI leader D Raja said, "We do not know whatthe new proposal the government has. We will listen toMukherjee and then will take a call."

He said the the Left is for the JPC and the government"should accept it", a view echoed by CPI-M Parliamentary Partyleader Sitaram Yechury.

Yechury said that the arrest of former TelecomMinister A Raja and findings of the Shivraj Patil Committeehave reinforced the demand for JPC into the 2G spectrumallocation scam.

Both Raja and Yechury said that the responsibility ofrunning Parliament rests with the government and "we have yetnot got any fresh proposal from it."

"We want the House to function. Whether the House willfunction or not, that is the responsibility of the government.

If it remains obdurate like it remains now that there is noJPC, the responsibility of functioning of Parliament is on thegovernment," Yechury told reporters here.

Asked whether the Left would agree to have adiscussion on the need for JPC in Parliament, he said therewas no such proposal from the government in this regard. "Letus see the proposal. We are hearing it from you (media)people. It''s not a government proposal. It''s your proposal.

"First let the government say what they want.

Parliament will function when the government comes up and saywhat they want. They have not come up with any proposals," hesaid.

BJP leaders including L K Advani have said that theparty-led NDA stands by the demand of JPC and there is "nodilution".

After the washout of the month-long Winter Session onthe JPC demand, government is beginning the fresh exercisetomorrow to end the impasse as the three-month long Budgetsession is just a fortnight away.

Congress, which is opposed to the JPC, appeared softon the issue with party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajanrecently remarking that the party was "open" to discussing aresolution which entails voting in Parliament on the issue ofJPC.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has held three rounds oftalks with leaders of political parties to ensure smoothfunctioning of the Budget Session after the longestshutdown of Parliament in the Winter Session on the JPC issue.

BJP-led NDA is sticking to its demand for a JPC probeinto the three scams related to 2G spectrum allocation, AdarshHousing Society and Commonwealth Games preparations.

At tomorrow''s meeting, NDA has decided to continue topress for a JPC probe into the three scams.

Significantly, Mamata Banerjee''s Trinamool Congresshas said it does not have a problem with a Joint ParliamentaryCommittee (JPC) probe if Congress agrees to it.

The Trinamool Congress is the second largestparty in the UPA after the Congress.