Cash-for-votes: PM faces Opposition's Wiki-missiles today

New Delhi, Mar 23: The Opposition parties led by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj yesterday (Tuesday, Mar 22) boycotted the Parliament proceeding by staging a walkout. The Opposition was inclined to initiate a debate over the Prime Minister's alleged "misleading" the House over cash-for-votes controversy. Now, PM Manmohan Singh has been compelled to answer the Opposition.

Today (Wednesday, Mar 23) Manmohan Singh, during an expected short-term debate, will clarify his stand and statement over cash-for-votes scam raised by the whistle-blower WikiLeaks.

Previously, stating about WikiLeaks' latest revelation about 2008 trust vote regarding Indo-US nuclear deal, the PM stated that MPs were not bribed. Though the parliamentary probe committee claimed that bribes were indeed given to the MPs.

Citing the PM's "misleading", BJP tabled the privilege motion in the House and demanded for a debate. When Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee requested Opposition to continue the Parliament proceeding, Sushma Swaraj claimed, "It is a question of two-and-a-half hours...You allow debate, then we can have both (debate and discussion on new bill)... It is just a matter of earlier and later."

In reply, the Finance Minister stated, "We agreed to short duration debate after the Finance Bill is passed. We have no problem to discussion under Rule 192 (which does not entail voting). But please allow the Finance Bill to be passed first."

So, today the PM is facing the wrath of Opposition which has been intensified by the latest revelation of WikiLeaks.

OneIndia News