The cash-for-votes scam is expected to cast its shadow on Parliament on Tuesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party planning to move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for allegedly misleading both houses over the WikiLeaks expose.
Meanwhile, some Congress members of Parliament are contemplating moving a breach of privilege notice against Sushma Swaraj, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, for allegedly defying speaker Meira Kumar last week over the issue. A discussion over the finance bill is scheduled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, while the Rajya Sabha will take up a calling attention on nuclear safety in India in the wake of recent disaster in Japan.
Parliament will meet on Tuesday after an extended holiday for Holi. Government sources fear that the proceedings could be thrown out of gear in case of a fresh uproar over the WikiLeaks issue. In such a scenario, the Congress members could also utilise the opportunity to hit back at BJP over its "double standards" on the issue of the Indo-United States nuclear deal as revealed by WikiLeaks cables of 2008.
On the cash-for-vote scam, an assertive prime minister hit back at the Opposition last week for raising "old charges that have been debated, discussed and rejected by the people of India." After the statement, the BJP said that it will move a privilege motion against Singh for "misleading" Parliament by saying that no bribe was paid to MPs which, it alleged, was contradictory to the findings of the Parliamentary probe committee.
"The prime minister and the United Progressive Alliance government were principal beneficiaries of cross-voting. He says he was not aware (of bribes being paid). But he is definitely a beneficiary. Under the law of jurisprudence, being a beneficiary of this offence, he is equally liable," Swaraj had said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has already dismissed charges that Singh has committed any breach of privilege, insisting that "no part of the statement is incorrect." The notice for calling attention in the Rajya Sabha on nuclear safety in India has been given by several members including D Raja of the Communist Party of India, and Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP
Singh has already said he has ordered an immediate technical review of India's atomic plants to check if they can withstand the impact of major natural disasters such as tsunami and earthquakes in the wake of the catastrophe in Japan threatening a nuclear meltdown.
The finance bill will be put to vote on Wednesday. This is the last week of the Budget session which will conclude on March 25.
