Opposition firm: no questions to Fernandes

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 28. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. G.M.C. Balayogi, has decided to consult party leaders tomorrow to resolve the issue related to the censure motion against the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, even as a determined Opposition continued to embarrass the Minister, refusing to put any questions to him.

The Government view is that it cannot allow the Prime Minister's prerogative to appoint Ministers to be ``voted'' in a censure motion, and the Congress members, in whose name the notice for the motion stands, insist that it was a serious question of breach of propriety and a fit case for a censure motion.

The Speaker, whose prerogative it is to dispose of the motion in a manner he considers fit, has called a meeting of the party leaders as he wants to arrive at a resolution acceptable to all.

In the Rajya Sabha, it was a near repeat of the Lok Sabha scene last week - today it was Congress member, Mr. K.K. Birla, who refused to put supplementary questions to the Defence Minister, questioning his legitimacy.

As soon as the House assembled for question hour, the Chairman, Mr. Krishan Kant, called Mr. Birla, in whose name the first question of the day pertaining to the Defence Ministry was listed. Mr. Birla stood up and said that he did not want to put any question to ``this Minister''.

The Opposition members immediately rose in support while the Union Minister, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, and others on the ruling coalition benches joined issue.

Unprecedented: Krishan Kant

Sensing the mood, the Chairman, proceeded with the next question even as the verbal duel continued, observing that what was happening was unprecedented.

``This has never happened in Parliamentary history, a member who has been selected by the Prime Minister, given oath by the President, and a member does not want to ask him a question. It is an aspersion and not a correct thing,'' the chair observed even as Mr. Birla insisted that he would not put his question to Mr. Fernandes.

But the Opposition did allow the Defence Minister later to table papers and perform legislative functions like withdrawing and introducing the Coast Guard (Amendment) Bill.

Tomorrow is again Mr. Fernandes' question day, in the Lok Sabha. And the second question of the day, again from a Congress member is listed. Again he is likely to face an embarrassment.

In a related development, counsel for Mr. Fernandes has approached the Venkataswami Commission probing the Tehelka issue to allow his client to be examined as a first witness at an early date. Clearly, Mr. Fernandes is anxious to get it over with. The Commission will pass orders tomorrow on the plea. It will also pass orders on the ambit, scope and the aspects that would be gone into the inquiry under the terms of reference pertaining to the making and publication of the expose made by the portal.

The Attorney General, Mr. Soli Sorabjee, wanted the Commission to go into aspects like the manner in which the tapes were made, methods used for the sting operation, technical correctness and omissions in the tapes that would have a bearing on the authenticity of the tapes.

On behalf of former Samata Party president, Ms. Jaya Jaitley, it was pleaded that the ethics of using call girls to entrap defence officials and others should also be considered.

On behalf of the portal, it was submitted that Mr. Tarun Tejpal, Editor-in-Chief of tehelka.com and two reporters should be examined in the end.

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