Setting the stage for a stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning tomorrow,a combative Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday that the government was not afraid of discussing issues of corruption as the Opposition also has too many skeletons in its cupboard. The PM was speaking to the media after the customary meeting of floor leaders with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. While Singh did not attend the meeting,he joined the leaders for lunch. We are not afraid of discussing any issue, said Singh. Reacting to his statement,Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said,let us see who attacks whom from tomorrow. She also accused Singh of starting a confrontation even before the start of the five-week long session. The government is free to bring out all the arrows in its quiver. Let us see who has more arrows in its quiver, she countered. Anticipating a combined Opposition offensive on the 2G issue in the wake of former telecom minister A Rajas allegations,Singh said: The matter is before court. It should be left to be decided by the court and Parliament should not pre-judge the issue. Singh said there were some matters which were in courts and were being investigated by the CBI. I sincerely hope that these matters should be left to be decided by courts, he said. Swaraj,however,disagreed saying issues are decided inside Parliament,not outside. While the government is likely to counter the BJP attack by raising the Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicting outgoing Karntaka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa,a tussle is also expected on the Lokpal Bill. Although he had earlier stated that he was not against the office of the Prime Minister being brought under the Lokpals purview,Singh said today that it would not be advisable to do so. He said his government had taken this decision after taking all factors into account. In the midst of the session,Anna Hazare is scheduled to start his indefinite hunger strike on August 16. Asked to comment on Hazares fast,Singh said the Lokpal Bills fate will be decided by Parliament. As you know,we are ready with the Lokpal Bill. The Bills fate will be decided by Parliament. In a democracy,Parliament is a sovereign body,it should be allowed to function and discharge its duty, he said. Apart from corruption,Swaraj said the Opposition would raise the issues of price rise,internal security related to the Mumbai blasts as well as Maoist violence,Telangana statehood and problems in Air India,pre-conditions set by the Nuclear Suppliers Group and attacks on Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters. Among those who attended todays meeting were senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj,Leader of the House and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal,Deputy Speaker Karia Munda,Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat and Rajiv Shukla,Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Sudip Bandyopadhyay,BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan,RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta.
