Govt blames BJP for Lokpal fiasco

New Delhi, December 30, 2011 (Tehelkanews)

The government on Friday steered clear of apportioning any blame to Trinamnool Congress for the failure to pass Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha and put the blame squarely on the BJP.



"If BJP wanted the bill to be passed, it could have been passed without any problem," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters.



To a question, he said, "The Congress has only 71 members in the Upper House and the Government and the Congress hoped to pass the Bill in the Upper House but the BJP tactic was that support Anna and oppose Lokpal".



Rajya Sabha has 243 members.



Mr. Bansal said the opposition and a party, apparently referring to ally Trinamool Congress, were not willing to play ball. They were not willing to cooperate. "They would rather see the nation fail than the Government succeed."



Denying the charge of Government having choreographed last night's events in Rajya Sabha, he said, "They (opposition) are guilty of stalling the proceedings for the simple reason that they did not want the Bill to be passed."



The Minister said the effect of the enormous number of amendments (187 in number) was "confusing" and it was difficult for a Government to accept them and to get the Bill passed because it would lead to legal problems.



"It is not that the Bill is dead. The amendments will be taken up in the Budget session for consideration," Mr. Bansal said.


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