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Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
After an hour-long meeting between the government and the opposition on Monday morning to resolve concerns raised over the Prevention of Terrorism of Ordinance, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Somnath Chatterjee, who was part of the opposition delegation, said the 'stalemate still prevails'.
Talking to rediff.com, Chatterjee said, "It was not productive. The government merely said that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would soon be having an all-party meeting on POTO, that's it."
"No, there was no proposal from the government side about any amendment to POTO. Looks like it is waiting for the prime minister's move on the issue," he pointed out.
Asked what the Opposition would do now, Chatterjee said: "As far as our party is concerned, we will continue opposing POTO in its present form and I think the opposition as a whole is also against it."
Indian Muslim League leader G M Banatwala said, "The parties in the meeting gave their views on POTO. Maybe, something will emerge when the prime minister summons the all-party meeting on POTO. But we really don't know when it will fructify."
Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani merely said, "Efforts are on for consensus on POTO."
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