Congress, BJP slug it out over all-party meet

BJP counters govt claim that all parties were earlier on board

NEW DELHI: The ‘reported’ minutes of two-all party meetings held in August to discuss on how to deal with the July 10 Supreme Court judgment mandating immediate disqualification of convicted lawmakers has triggered a war of words between the government and Opposition.

The government maintains that all parties had supported its proposal to amend the Representation of the People Act to provide relief to convicted MPS/MLAS in the meetings held on August 1 and 13.

This has been strongly denied by the BJP, with the Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley respectively terming the government’s claim as false.

Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also questioned the government’s claim, saying in case minutes of these meetings were prepared, then why were these not shared with those who participated in them.

He said the government was indulging in “mischief and issue. Swaraj had tweeted on Wednesday night that the government was spreading “complete falsehood.”

Jaitley issued a detailed twopage statement on the entire sequence of events related to the controversy.

Referring to the August 13 meeting attended by Swaraj and him, Jaitley said: “Various proposals were discussed. At the end of the discussion the impression conveyed to us was that the government would finalise the proposal and refer the matter to a standing committee for formulation of opinion.”

Jaitley charged the government with having tried to create an impression that the BJP was in support of its proposed legislation to protect convicted lawmakers.

“After this meeting, I was told by the law minister at the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s speech at the Red Fort on Independence Day, that the government was contemplating a constitutional amendment. This was conveyed to me in the presence of the finance minister. I had expressed my apprehensions at the proposal ”