Govt, Opposition agree on talks to end row over Dr Singh

New Delhi: The Congress has seemingly given in and agreed to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks of colluding with Pakistan against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

A compromise was worked out at a meeting attended by representatives of both BJP and the Congress. The half-an-hour meeting in Jaitley’s chamber was attended by senior leaders like parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma.

According to sources, a discussion would be called in the matter in the Rajya Sabha which would be opened by Mr Azad and replied to by Mr Jaitley.

In the Lok Sabha, however, the strategy might be different and the Congress is likely to protest when Mr Modi is present in the House on Wednesday — the day of the week when questions from PMO are scheduled.

For the record senior Congress leader Anand Sharma told the media: “Government interlocutors will talk to the prime minister and let us know in what manner he seeks to redress aspersions cast on Manmohan Singh”.

Questioned as to whether they were still insisting on an apology from Mr Modi in the matter, he said that we just want that the prime minister clarifies what he meant on  the floor of the House.

The meeting between the top leaders was held after Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu urged the opposition and the government to talk and resolve the stalemate over the prime minister’s comments on his predecessor.

The Congress had created a ruckus in the House in the morning as it insisted that the PM come to the House to clarify the statement he made during poll campaign in Gujarat.

Mr Azad said that the PM should clarify what he said as his charges that his predecessor was “conspiring” with Pakistan was “a big issue”.