Seeking to end the week-long deadlock in Parliament over the mode of discussions on price rise, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has invited leaders of all political parties for a breakfast meeting Monday morning.
The meeting is to draw up a formula for ending the stalemate in both Houses after the opposition stuck to their demand on discussion under a rule that entails voting, which is being staunchly opposed by the government.
The formulation to be put up by the government for consideration at the meeting is: "This House expresses concern at inflationary pressure on the economy and calls upon the government to contain its impact."
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Janata Dal(U) president Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Basudeb Acharia, Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav and others are invited for the meeting.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar are among those from the government side to be present at the meeting.
Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta favoured the acceptance of the government formulation but declined to hazard any guess as to what would be the outcome.
BJP leader S S Ahluwalia said that the party would be deliberating on the issue at a meeting on Sunday.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister expressed hope that a way out would be found out at the meeting to end the deadlock.
Opposition has been so far insisting a discussion under a rule that entails voting in a bid to censure the government on skyrocketing prices.
This was despite Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar rejecting notices of an adjournment motion on the issue, holding that it does not involve "failure" of the government in its constitutional duties.
The Monsoon session of Parliament, which started a week ago, has not been able to transact any business so far. The Session is a month-long affair.On July 30, signs of an end to the impasse brightened with Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On the same day, Mukherjee met Prasad.
Though confident of its numbers, the government is against any discussion which entails voting as it has an element of censure.
