The Lok Saha has been adjourned till 6 pm and the Rajya Sabha for the day As the Lok Sabha met at 2 pm there was no change in the situation with Opposition raising slogans against the government and the Treasury benches strongly reacting with allegations that Opposition is not interested in running Parliament. Similarly when the Rajya Sabha met at 3 pm there was no change in the situation with opposition raising slogans against the government.
Earlier, making the government’s stand clear in the house, the Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said that it can neither confirm nor deny the revelations made in the Wikileaks. He said it is a communication between a diplomatic mission and its sovereign government. Mr. Mukherjee said that the issue pertaining to 14th Lok Sabha can not be taken up in the 15th Lok Sabha as every Lok Sabha is sovereign. He also said the names that figure in the controversy enjoy diplomatic immunity and dared the BJP to file a public interest litigation saying that this evidence is not admissible in any court of Law in India.
Contesting the government’s argument, the leader of the Opposition in the House Mr. Arun Jaitley alleged that the incident took place outside Parliament and described it as a commission of an offence in India. He asserted that it is a bribery case involving Indian citizens. CPIM member Sitaram Yechury said that the Committee appointed to look into the cash for vote scam has recommended proper criminal investigation in the case.
AIR Parliamentary correspondent reports the day began amidst heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches and slogan shouting leading to repeated adjournments of the two houses.
In the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta of CPI raised the issue first urging the Prime Minister to make a statement in the House on the issue and wanted to know who is running the government at Centre.
The Leader of the Opposition Mrs. Sushma Swaraj alleged that the government has lost its moral authority to rule the country and should resign. She said that this episode has brought disrepute to the country.
Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav who had supported the government in the trust vote sought a discussion on this issue. He said that the Wikileaks are pointing fingers towards those who supported the UPA in the trust vote.