NEW DELHI: With all anti-Congress parties rallying behind former external affairs minister Natwar Singh amidst his move to file a breach of privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha over the "leakage" of Justice Pathak report, Parliament is likely to witness another stormy day on Monday.
To blunt the Opposition criticism, the government has decided to table the Pathak committee report together with the Action Taken Report (ATR) either on Monday or Tuesday. The Cabinet is meeting on Monday to clear the report.
Though the government's decision to expedite the ATR is aimed at taking the wind out of Opposition sails, the BJP and other parties such as the Samajwadi Party, TDP, ADMK and JDU are planning to use the opportunity to target Congress president Sonia Gandhi, alleging the involvement of Congress in the Iraq oil-for-food scam.
The NDA leaders are meeting on Monday morning to decide floor co-ordination of Opposition parties. The Opposition is in no mood to allow business to be transacted till the government comes clean on how "the Pathak committee report" was leaked even before the Parliament could get a look.
SP general secretary Amar Singh said AIADMK, TDP would vociferously raise the matter in the Rajya Sabha on Monday and ask government how the report was leaked. The only solace for the government is that the Left parties, though backing Natwar in his fight against the Volcker allegations, may not back any privilege motion against the PM. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said, “Let the privilege committee first decide” (whether there is case against the PM or not).
Sources said, the committee usually does not entertain petitions by individuals who are an interested party. However, even if Natwar's notice is rejected, other MPs can move motion against the PM.
Natwar, who had meetings with CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Sunday also met CPI general secretary AB Bardhan, seeking support. Amar Singh who never misses an opportunity to trouble Congress, has been pro-active on the Natwar front.
Cashing in on the wedge between Natwar and the Congress, the SP leadership is working on a situation wherein, either the Congress is forced expel Natwar from the party or the Jat leader himself quits the Congress and joins the Samajwadi Party.
With Assembly elections round the corner in Uttar Pradesh and the Samajwadi Party on a sticky wicket, Natwar's entry would benefit the party at least in Jat-dominated western UP at a time when Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh, the sole Jat leader from the region, is set to dump the SP and join hands with former Prime Minister V.P. Singh's Jan Dal.
Amar Singh has been talking to Janata Dal (United), ADMK, TDP and the Left leaders for a united pro-Natwar stand. While ADMK chief Jayalalithaa and TDP boss Chandrababu Naidu readily agreed, the CPI(M) and the CPI did not come out supporting the privilege move against the PM.
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