NEW DELHI, Nov 30 � After wastage of 13 consecutive working days, the entire Winter session of Parliament appears set to be lost as efforts to break the government-opposition stand-off over JPC issue failed today with both sides hardening their positions, reports PTI.
At an all-party meeting called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the Opposition made it clear that it will not allow Parliament to function till JPC into 2G spectrum allocation is set up but the government said the demand was �unacceptable�.
The Opposition parties also emphasised that it will not be satisfied by anything less than JPC, rejecting government�s proposal for Supreme Court monitored CBI probe into 2G scam.
The government also ruled out sine die adjournment of the session which is slated to conclude on December 13.
To build pressure on the government, about 80 MPs belonging to non-NDA opposition parties marched to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to urge President Pratibha Patil to �advise� the government to set up JPC.
�All the Opposition parties demanded a JPC and if the government cant give JPC, the Parliament would not be able to function. We have told this thing to the Speaker also,� Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj told reporters after the two-and-a-half hour meeting.
During the meeting, the Speaker suggested that the Question Hour should be allowed and other issues could be debated later but it was turned down by the Opposition.
�We asked how will that help if Question hour goes on,� Swaraj said, adding her party wanted Parliament to function not only one hour but the whole day.
�Why is the government refusing to accept JPC is bewildering. Government feels many skeletons will come out of its cupboard,� CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said.
Insisting that the demands for JPC do not fit in the rules of Parliament, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said, �This meeting could not bring about the results we expected.�
Contending that her effort was to end the impasse in Parliament, Kumar said, �till a solution is found, both sides (government and Opposition) should continue efforts.�
Besides leaders from Congress and BJP, the meeting was attended by representatives of parties like JD(U), AIADMK, Left parties, TDP, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and National Conference.
At the meeting, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Opposition that its demand for JPC was �unacceptable� to the government.
He proposed SC-monitored CBI probe and reiterated readiness for attaching teams of multi-discplinary investigative agencies to the Public Accounts Committee.
