An all party-meeting to discuss legislative business in Parliament's monsoon session on Thursday saw a fierce debate on the issue of Telangana with the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding that a bill be brought on it in this session and some other parties fearing repercussions of the decision in other states.
The meeting also saw a near unanimity among parties on taking corrective measures to ensure that politicians are not barred from contesting polls due to politics of vendetta in the light of a recent court judgment that debars them from fighting elections if they were in jail or in police custody.
Opposition parties, however, took strong objections to the government's move to bring changes in FDI policy without consulting them.
In the meeting, BJP expressed readiness to support the government in passage of the Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill after incorporating amendments suggested by it.
"BJP demands that the government should bring a bill to create Telangana state in this session of Parliament itself. Because so far the decision that has been taken is of the Congress party and not a government decision.
"It will be considered a government decision, when the bill will come. We will fully support the bill and ensure its passage so that the very old demand of Telananga is fulfilled," Swaraj told reporters here.
The meeting also saw Trinamool Congress attacking the government for holding talks with leaders of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and "by-passing" the state government.
Accusing the Centre of stoking problems in West Bengal after its decision on Telangana, leaders from the former UPA ally alleged that central ministers accompanied GTA leaders to meet Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, a charge denied by him, the sources said.
AGP leaders were also wary that the decision on Telangana may have a bearing not only in Andhra Pradesh but many other states including Assam, where the demand of a separate statehood is continuing for long.
"This (separate statehood) is a very sensitive issue. This will affect not only Andhra Pradesh but other parts of the country including Assam. Government should look at it
cautiously," AGP MP Birendra Prasad Baishya said.
Singh said the government is attacking the spirit of federal structure by directly talking to GTA leaders without informing the state government.
Singh said his party was not against Telangana.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said his party would look forward to the government bringing a bill on Telangana immediately.
Responding to the demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said there was a need to complete the legal process and the state assembly has to take up the resolution first.
"Whatever is the legal process, it has to be followed," he said.
Nath said all parties expressed concern over the SC's recent judgment on the issues of reservation as also debarring candidates of political parties from contesting elections if they were in jail or in police custody.
"The all party-meeting expressed concern over erosion of supremacy of Parliament in the wake of SC judgements on reservation and contesting polls," he said.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, "Some recent (court) decisions have come. There is a decision in which it was said that even if you are in police custody even for a day during polls, you cannot contest election.
"There should be a review of such decisions and if there is need for some amendment regarding it, those amendments should come," she said.
Swaraj said the BJP has demanded a discussion on the Uttarakhand tragedy, "confrontation" between CBI and IB and the devaluation of rupee.
CPI leader D Raja said there was consensus among all parties that Parliament's supremacy should be maintained.
There was a consensus on Parliament giving an appropriate response to SC judg ments on certain issues, he said after the meeting. PTI AMR RC SPGRaja said there are a number of ordinances which are to be replaced by legislations.
"Parties expressed their views on the state of the economy and declining value of Rupee. Certain foreign relation issues like Tamil issue, forthcoming Commonwealth Summit, all these questions were raised," he said.
Jaitley said the BJP among other issues will like to raise matters of national security particularly in the context of IB and CBI confrontation in Ishrat Jahan case, state of economy, declining value of Rupee.
He said the government has only 12 effective days for conducting legislative business in the 16 sittings in session and as such its proposal of taking up 64 items during the session shows that while its "ambition seems to be high", it is not very serious about lot of this business.
"Let us see how does the government achieves this near miracle in the short time that they had fixed for this session," Jaitley said, adding BJP would not like disruptions
to happen and want the discussions to take place provided the government adopts a positive approach.
Swaraj also felt that the government's desire to take up 64 bills in 16 working days was "impractical" though its intention may be "noble".
"I have told the government to pass the bills on land acquisition and food security by incorporating our amendments," she said.
TMC leader Singh maintained that his party is "vehemently against" passage of Land Acquisition Bill but indicated it will not obstruct the passage of food security bill.
