PM cancels lunch after BJP serves him snub
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cancelled a lunch for leaders of Opposition parties on Friday after the BJP decided they would not attend it.
Singh had called the lunch to break the deadlock between the government and the Opposition before Parliament resumes on Monday and takes up crucial legislations on nuclear liability, women's reservation and allowing foreign universities in the country.
Such lunches are a routine affair before Parliament meetings but this time the Congress-led UPA government had hoped to warm up to the BJP and get its support for these crucial legislations. Singh intended to reach out to BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, the Leaders of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively, at the lunch but they excused themselves. The two BJP leaders addressed a press conference at the time the lunch was planned and alleged the government was misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to harass its political rivals.
Jaitley and Swaraj alleged at the press conference the CBI serving summons to Gujarat Minister Amit Shah, who is accused of directing the 2005 killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake shoot-out, was a case of political vendetta.
"Four of the BJP leaders were invited for the PM's luncheon meeting but we decided not to attend it over the bitter atmosphere following CBI summon to Shah," said Swaraj.
The Congress and the BJP have been at each other's throats for a long time. BJP president Nitin Gadkari on July 9 called Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru the “son-in-law of the Congress”.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari replied: “it is obvious that the esteemed president of the BJP has lost it completely. The man needs serious help.”
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