M A I N   N E W S

Oppn to bring adjournment motion on CBI ‘misuse’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20
The Opposition parties have decided to bring an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha tomorrow on the “misuse” of the CBI in “diluting” the charge sheet against Union Ministers L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi in the Babri Mosque demolition case.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi with Opposition party leaders before a meeting at her residence in New Delhi on Sunday. — PTI

This was decided at a two-hour-long meeting of the opposition leaders convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her residence.

Those who attended the meeting included CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee, RJD leader Laloo Prasad Yadav, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Muslim League leader G.M. Banatwala.

The meeting also decided to raise the issues of the controversial Taj Corridor project, frequent rail accidents, JPCs reports on stock market scam and UTI scam.

Briefing about the deliberations at the meeting, Congress chief spokesperson Jaipal Reddy said “the CBI had been misused by the Prime Minister to save the skin of senior leaders of Sangh Parivar”.

He said the opposition parties would seek proper explanation from the government on the issue. “It is a terrible reflection on the manner in which the government is functioning,” Mr Reddy said. Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav later alleged that the “government had been misusing the CBI to help its supporters and fix its opponents”.

On the Women’s Reservation Bill, Mr Reddy said no consensus could be reached though the Left and the Congress supported the Bill in its present form.

Other issues likely to be taken up by the Opposition during the month-long monsoon session included conditional access system, MiG crashes and Best Bakery case.

The Opposition might seek a clear statement from the government that it would not deviate from its stand on not sending troops to Iraq unless it was done under the aegis of the United Nations. The Indo-Pak ties might also figure prominently during the session with the Opposition seeking to know the progress on peace initiatives.

Meanwhile, the Left parties which met here today, finalised their strategy to grill the NDA government, particularly on economic management, Women’s Reservation Bill and Ayodhya issue. The coordination committee of the Left parties also decided to question the government on the “sops” being given to the farmers in the name of soft interest rate loans, increasing unemployment and disinvestment of profit-making PSUs. The Left parties would demand a comprehensive crop insurance policy for farmers. The loopholes in the government’s proposed Bill on the unorganised sector were also likely to be taken up.