Even though he called the Food Security Ordinance a “cruel joke” on democracy, BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Saturday said his party will “not oppose” the passage of the Bill in the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, but seek amendments to it, clearly indicating the main Opposition party’s intentions of taking on the Government over the issue. He, however, did not reveal the amendments that the BJP would propose.
Questioning the delay in bringing the Bill, he wondered why the UPA-led Congress Government took so long in passing the Bill and that too through the Ordinance route, especially when it had promised to bring the legislation within 100 days of coming to power after the 2004 general elections.
“What was the hurry in bringing the Ordinance on the Bill when the Monsoon Session of Parliament is round the corner...Taking the Ordinance route is nothing but a cruel joke on democracy,” Rajnath told reporters in Nagpur after his meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Sangh headquarters. He said he had a “routine discussion” with Bhagwat.
Asked if the BJP will stall the Monsoon Session too, Rajnath shot back saying, “We did not stall it. The Congress should only be held responsible for disruptions in Parliamentary proceedings.”
The Government’s Ordinance move has met a stiff opposition from the likes of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav besides the left parties.
Jayalalithaa described it as Food Insecurity Bill and said Tamil Nadu did not require such a Bill. She even declared that she will not implement it in her State. Mulayam has accused Congress of indulging in vote bank politics. As lok Sabha elections are near, the Congress is bringing the Ordinance like it had brought the rural employment scheme MNREGA before the previous polls, he maintained.Congress rejected Opposition’s charge of bringing the Ordinance in hurry saying it was part of the party’s 2009 manifesto.