Opposition firm, Govt. unrelenting on RSS issue

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 28. The RSS issue is threatening to develop into a major confrontation between the Opposition and the Treasury Benches in the Lok Sabha. The entire Opposition insisted today that the issue of Gujarat allowing Government servants to participate in RSS activities be discussed in the House under a substantive motion - Rule 184 - so that parties could vote to make clear their stand.

An hour-long meeting held this evening - after the Lok Sabha was adjourned three times - with leaders of political parties in the Speaker's chamber failed to resolve the crisis. Another meeting could materialise tomorrow morning before the House meets. And if that does not happen, the Opposition leaders are expected to meet to finalise their strategy.

The Congress(I) Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Madhav Rao Scindia, emphasised that the issue was related to the ``basic features of the Constitution'' and therefore, must be discussed under a substantive motion. He pointed out that the Opposition had already agreed to let go the adjournment motion it had first moved on the matter after the Speaker disallowed it. ``What is the fear of the Treasury Benches? Under the rules a Government is forced to resign if an adjournment motion goes against it, but under rule 184, the Government does not fall even if the vote goes against it.''

Emerging from the meeting in the Speaker's chamber, Mr. Scindia said that during the five-year tenure of the minority Narasimha Rao government, four adjournment motions were allowed despite the attendant risks of the Government falling. The issue was so important it was proper that through voting, which would follow the debate under rule 184, ``parties should let the 1,000 million Indians know where they stand on this issue.''

Mr. Scindia said the rules of parliamentary procedure, allowing the Opposition certain rights, acted as ``safety valves'' but now the Treasury Benches were doing away with this safety valve.

There is also resentment in the Congress(I) and the Left parties that parliamentary rules were flouted today when the Speaker called some MPs to initiate a debate on the RSS under rule 193 ``when those names were not listed under that motion in the agenda for that day''. It was pointed out that there were only two names on the agenda - that of Mr. Indrajit Gupta (CPI), who was absent, and Mrs. Geeta Mukherjee (CPI), who wanted to withdraw the notice. ``First of all, once a notice is accepted by the Speaker's office, it becomes the property of the House, and even if a member wishes to withdraw, the Speaker must seek the views of the House. This was not done,'' a CPI(M) MP said.

Worse followed, when names of those not listed were called out. In fact, according to one Opposition leader, when the Samajwadi Party leader, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav's name was called, since he was not listed in the agenda, he thought the Speaker was asking for his views, and he gave it, saying he wanted a discussion under rule 184. And then, in a surprise move the name of Mr. Kirit Somaiya (BJP) was called out and he opened the debate amid confusion. The Opposition view was that all this flouted procedural rules.

Although it is not being openly stated by the Treasury Benches, they fear that if voting takes place on a debate related to the RSS, some of the BJP's allies in the NDA may vote with the Opposition. The Trinamul Congress, the DMK and the Telugu Desam have already expressed their view publicly. The BJP is naturally anxious to avoid making public and putting on record the rift within the NDA on this subject.

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