Email
Print
ShareNew Delhi: Prime minister Manmohan Singh today parried questions on the issue of the government tabling the Liberhan Commission report on the Babri Masjid demolition in Parliament.
Singh did not reply to queries by reporters on the issue after he emerged from an all-party meeting convened by speaker Meira Kumar on the eve of the budget session.
The prime minister merely said the government was looking forward to the session with "great expectation" and expressed the hope that the House will function smoothly.
The meeting witnessed demands for early tabling of the Liberhan Commission report.
RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said people want the report to be tabled in Parliament along with the Action Taking Report (ATR).
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is understood to have suggested that the government should exercise caution while implementing the report.
The prime minister said he believed that all political parties want Parliament to function "effectively and smoothly" and on behalf of the government, he extended "fullest cooperation" in the smooth functioning of Parliament.
"Parliament is the forum where debate can take place. It will be our sincere desire that Parliament functions smoothly," he said.
On whether the Liberhan Commission report will be tabled in the House, the speaker said, "government will prepare the ATR on Liberhan Commission report and it will take some time. Then it will be tabled."
Kumar said, "we had a meeting of all party leaders. We have assurance from all leaders that they will cooperate with me in running the House smoothly and conducting the business in an orderly fashion."
Talking about the business of the House, she said the Railway and the Union budgets have to be passed along with that for Jharkhand, which is now under president's rule. Besides there are some government business, she said.
Asked about the Women's Reservation Bill, she favoured a consensus among various political parties on it.
The speaker also urged parties not to waste the time of Parliament.
To a query whether the House should have more than 100 sittings in a year, she said all leaders feel so, but is yet to happen. "In future we will try to implement this," she said.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani, railway minister Mamata Banerjee and JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda were present at the meeting.
