Opposition parties were compromised: Cong

NEW DELHI: Stung by near-total isolation and passage of two key bills of government in Rajya Sabha with the support of a number of non-NDA groups, Congress today said opposition parties were “compromised” but expressed confidence that their unity on the land bill remain.

“Ask them. My charge is that they have been compromised,” party general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters when asked why most of other opposition parties did not back Congress stand on the two bills.

Supporting the contention, former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said “this question should be put to them. They have been compromised for whatsoever reasons. Only the two know – BJP and the concerned parties.”

Asked whether the Opposition unity that was visible during the protest march by 14 parties against the land bill has been ruptured, Sharma disagreed saying making any such inference from this will be wrong.

“There are positions on which we have ideological issues. Congress is committed to protecting the rights of tribals, farmers. Some parties have some different views on some issues. On the issue of land, we are all together.

“Today we and Left voted together but on a number of issues, we have diverse views. In a broader coalition, there will be issues on which people have diverse views,” Sharma said.

Former Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, who had led Congress agitation against land ordinance from Bhatta Parsaul, UP, this time, downplayed the issue saying that leaders of Opposition parties, which helped government pass these bills were also committed to their support to Congress on land bill.

“It is issue-based unity. There are issues on which we are united, there are issues on which we have diverse views,” he said. A senior AICC functionary said that he was “pained” that parties like AIADMK, Samajwadi Party and Biju Janta Dal, which vouchsafed to stand by the ideologies of Annadurai, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jai Prakash Narayan and Biju Patnaik have supported these measures.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015 got Parliament’s approval in the nick of time as today was the last day of the first half of the budget session and the ordinances on these were to lapse on April 5.

The Mines and Minerals bill was passed after much controversy and procedural wrangling in the Upper House as several parties, barring Congress, Left and JD (U) supported it.

The Coal bill was passed with 107 members voting in favor and 62 against in the Upper 245-member House where ruling BJP-led coalition is in a minority.–PTI