Tuesday, March 22 2005 13:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to press for referring the Patent (Amendment) Bill to a Standing Committee of Parliament, while asserting that its strategy would not depend on the stand taken by Left Parties on the issue.

"When the Bill is taken up in Parliament, we will press for referring the Bill to the Standing Committee. We will decide our course of action after talking with the Government and the national Democratic Alliane (NDA) allies," party's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha V K Malhotra told reporters, after the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting.

The party had last Tuesday (Mar 22, 2005) issued a whip to its members to be present in Lok Sabha and vote against it, in the event of a division.

The 45-minute long Parliamentary Party meeting was chaired by BJP President L K Advani.

Asked whether the party would press for division (voting), Malhotra said, "We will decide on it after the Government talks with us and after consultations with our allies."

He said that the party had been demanding for the past 7-8 months that the Bill be referred to a Standing Committee or a Joint Select Committee but it did not bring the Bill either during the Monsoon session or Winter session.

"It neither consulted experts nor referred it to a Standing Committee and now at the last moment, it is trying to force the Bill," the BJP leader said.

On the turnaround of the Left Parties on the issue, he said, "They have always betrayed the people. They show red flag outside and green flag inside the House. They will observe a Bank strike across the country and inside Parliament support the Government. BJP's strategy (for opposing the Patent Bill) is not dependant on the stand taken by the Left parties."

Asked about the Pension Bill, he said people should be given the option of investing their money in the share market or in Government securities.

"We will press for including a specific provision in this regard in the Bill," he said.

Later, Defence Minister and leader of Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad called on Advani and NDA convener George Fernandes to seek their support for the Patent (Amendment) Bill.

The meeting was preceded by a meeting of NDA leaders, which decided to press for referring the Bill to the Standing Committee, Malhotra said.