Highlights: BJP on Monsoon Session washout

New Delhi: Today was the last day of the Monsoon Session. As has happened everyday for two weeks, both Houses were adjourned without transacting much business. For much of this session, MPs have come to both Houses, shouted, even assaulted each other, taken their daily allowances and gone home. It is estimated that the repeated adjournments that washed out the Monsoon Session have cost the taxpayer Rs. 10 crore for the two weeks they lasted.

BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley addressed a press conference today after the session ended. Here are the highlights:

Sushma Swaraj:

• Today the Monsoon Session of Parliament ended. Ordinarily, the 1st day of parliament is always disrupted - this was the first session where the first week passed off without incident.
• We debated Kokrajhar - I regret the government's response was causal
• The Home Minister read a suo-motu statement that was prepared, he did not respond to the points raised in the debate
• When there was an exodus of people from the North-East, the house spoke in one voice
• When the CAG report on Coal Block Allocation came, the proceedings were disrupted. The Govt wanted a discussion. We said we did not want a discussion before any action was taken
• We raised our three demands - PM must quit, the 142 blocks must be scrapped and a fair investigation must be conducted.
• There are parties that talk with us on the floor of the house, but vote with the government
• The numbers do not give the government license to loot
• We have not dropped demand for PM's resignation. But we wanted the discussion to go on, so this was our basic demands
• Sonia Gandhi called us - we told her we will discuss if you scrap the coal block allocation  and institute an inquiry
• Brashtachar mukt Bharat ke liye, chalein Sansad se Sadak ki or
• We spoke to TDP, CPI and other parties - this is not the demand of the BJP . This is a demand of the Opposition
• When Parliament ends this way, there is criticism - we are told that there is a loss since the Parliament wasn't allowed to function
• In 2G this was the case, but when we look back licenses sold for 1600 crores are now being sold for a base price that will fetch the exchequer 1.26 lakh crore. So by losing 10-20 Cr from loss of Parliament proceeding, if we can build pressure on the government, then that is acceptable
• Those who were custodians of national wealth looted the country. The PM is responsible since he signed the papers
• The Congress is already feeling the heat - media reports are exposing their connections with those allotted coal blocks

Arun Jaitley

• It is unfortunate that ending corruption and fixing coal block allocations wasn't in the PM's priorities
• Even when the Parliament doesn't function, there is a message.
• Three years ago, the Winter Session disruption helped clean up the Telecom Sector in this country
• The country is today faced with how to clean up the entire process of natural resources
• We have seen that arbitrary and discretionary methods were followed. I'd say the methods were corrupt
• We have a disclosure today on a note that was prepared with the approval of the PM
• On July 25, 2005, the govt rejected the demands of the state governments, so now to blame them is wrong
• Till Sept 2012, no competitive bidding has happened. The note seen by PM says 'resource is reducing and applicants increasing.'
• This is a textbook case of crony capitalism; large allotments have been made to businessmen or politicians with links to UPA. Some continue to retain them and some exited after the allocations. They merely received royalty for lending their names
• We have attempted to shake the conscience of this country.
• The UPA was given a historic opportunity when UPA chairperson spoke to Sushmaji - just cancel these allotments
• The UPA is a regime committed to kleptocracy- what we have started in this session will be taken to the people till we are able to restore fairness and some degree of accountability
• Even if a member of a party has done something that needs to be inquired into, he is welcome
• But a minority shareholding acquire in a PSU through competitive bidding doesn't quality
  
• The Inter Ministerial-Group is eyewash - the show cause notices have been sent in April
• We think the allocations were a scam. The allocations were a result of collusion with people at high places
• On CII, ASSOCHAM: It was an opportunity to standout against a scandalous allocation of natural resources, they failed to rise to the occasion
• We had 3 demands but for a debate in Parliament we had 2 pre-conditions. We are always ready to talk
• Many allocations are without the state government's assent; some even without taking the screening committee into the loop
• Congress leaders are free to go to the people, but experience has shown that their ability to communicate with people is proving very difficult