New Delhi:
Parliament did not transact any business on Monday. The Opposition came armed with two CWG-related issues - they wanted Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to resign for being faulted by the government's auditor and wanted a debate on Sports Minister Ajay Maken's statement on Suresh Kalmadi's appointment, that, it claimed, misled Parliament. After much uproar, both Houses were adjourned for the day. (
Read: Highlights of the auditor's explosive report on CWG)
But not before the NDA had given privilege notices against Mr Maken for saying that its government of 2003 was to blame for the appointment of Suresh Kalmadi as CWG Organising Committee chief.
In Lok Sabha last week, Mr Maken had presented, suo moto, the government's view of what transpired - that the UPA inherited Mr Kalmadi. That when Dr Manmohan Singh's government was voted into power in 2004, the paperwork that had been signed by the Vajpayee government for the Games ensured that Mr Kalmadi would rule the Commonwealth roost.
(
Read: Ajay Maken goes into huddle with predecessors)
Outside Parliament, in an effort to break the logjam, the government's managers met Opposition leaders and made a deal. They agreed to a Parliament discussion at noon tomorrow on the Sports Minister's statement. But said the government would not discuss the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the CWG mess as it would duly go before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament first.
The government troika of Ambika Soni, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khursheed came out all guns blazing, and slammed the Opposition for disrupting Parliament. Mr Khursheed said the government was ready for any debate, but only if the Opposition let Parliament function.
Sure, we want Parliament to function too, said Yashwant Sinha of the BJP. But, he scoffed, "don't treat Parliament like a school debating society. If something has the people exercised, it will reflect in Parliament."
Mr Sinha said, "It's being made out that Suresh Kalmadi is only responsible. And that Kalmadi is a BJP man. We will expose UPA's role if debate takes place."
The Opposition is seeking to target Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the CAG's censure of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Mr Kalmadi's appointment. Kapil Sibal argued that "there was only reference and no indictment of the PMO in the CAG report."
The BJP's fury does not end there. There is also the Chief-Minister-for-Chief-Minister demand. If BS Yeddyurappa could resign in Karnataka for being named in the Lokayukta's report, why cannot Sheila Dikshit resign in Delhi for being named in the CAG report, the party wants to know. Sheila Dikshit is charged by the CAG with grossly overspending for the Commonwealth Games. (
Read: CAG report blames Sheila for losses, PMO for endorsing Kalmadi)
It has so far drawn a tight-lipped "no comments" attitude from Mrs Dikshit, but her minister Arvinder Singh Lovely mounted a staunch defense saying, "The CM is not mentioned directly anywhere...Nowhere in the CAG report are the words corruption or scam used."
(Read: Delhi Govt defends Sheila Dikshit)The Congress strategy became clearer with spokesman Manish Tiwari challenging the auditor's scope, saying, "The CAG is an accounting body...it can't question policy or appointments."
"Peeps, leaks and squeaks," is how Mr Tiwari described the government auditor's functioning.