7 November 2002
LOK SABHA SPEAKER SEEKS
SONIA'S COOPERATION
From Jal Khambata
NEW
DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi on Thursday held a 30-minute
meeting with Congress President and Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi as
a part of an exercise initiated to speak to leaders of various
parties and groups to ensure smooth conduct of the winter session
beginning on November 18.
Sonia Gandhi, who was accompanied by
Congress deputy leader Shivraj Patil, was urged to ensure prevention
of frequent disruptions so as to allow the House to conduct maximum
business and compensate for adjournment of the House for a series of
days during the monsoon session, sources said.
They said Sonia
Gandhi assured her party's cooperation while Joshi was quite blunt in
pointing out that he would not succumb to adjourn the House under
pressure tactics of political parties by creating repeated
pandemonium.
Joshi shared his concern with Sonia Gandhi that
the monsoon session was practically washed out because of such
adjournments and ultimate closure of the session three days ahead of
the schedule, sources said.
He would be holding similar
separate meetings with leaders of other parties, rounding it up with
an all-party meeting three days ahead of the winter session, sources
said.
Boycott of Defence Minister George Fernandes on account
of the Tehelka controversy, in which the Congress was in the
forefront, may also end if going by the assurance given by Sonia
Gandhi that her party would not bring the House to a standstill on
same issue again and again, sources added. END