New Delhi, June 30: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President has hinted that his party may not attend the all-party meeting on the Jan Lokpal Bill on Sunday.
“The NDA will meet and take a decision on whether to attend the all-party meeting. The UPA wants us to attend the all-party meeting because now it needs our help,” said Gadkari.
According to reports, the government has convened a meeting of all political parties on Sunday to discuss the draft anti-graft Lokpal bill.
Earlier on Wednesday, Gadkari said that an economist Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has failed to control price rise, check corruption and take the opposition along on vital issues like the Lokpal Bill.
The BJP President said it was inappropriate on the part of the Prime Minister’s side to blame the opposition for the deadlock on the Lokpal Bill, as the opposition has always backed the government.
“When a team comprising of the civil society members and central ministers was constituted, at that time the Prime Minister and his government were aware, that both the opposition leaders hold an important position in the parliament and even their support is required for the passage of this important bill. At the time of formation of the committee they did not think about the opposition, we were not consulted and when their dialogue with the civil society failed, at that time they remembered us,” said Gadkari.
“On top of that, they are saying that we are not supporting them, this is very sad and shocking statement for me. I would like to make it clear that till now all the bills that have been tabled in the parliament, the government has first presented the bill and after that the opposition has discussed it and either supported it or disapproved it,” he added.
The final meeting between the government and civil society representatives on the Lokpal Bill ended on June 21 with differences continuing to persist on six issues including bringing the post of the Prime Minister under the purview of Lokpal.
—-Agencies