Home Minister P Chidambaram has said the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bills would be taken up in the Budget Session of Parliament. He was talking to reporters after a meeting of the Group of Ministers on Media in New Delhi on Friday.

He said the Government would talk to parties and the Bill was still safe and not defeated in the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Chidambaram charged the BJP of not being sincere and said the party wanted to block the passage of the Lokpal Bill and that was why it moved so many amendments. He added that the Bill would see the light of day during the Budget Session.

Responding the Trinamool Congress oppostiton to the Lokpal Bill, he conceded that there were differences among the UPA allies.

Meanwhile, the ruling Congress and the opposition continued trading charges on the delay in the passage of Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the Government had adopted several amendments at the last stage to get the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the opposition benches were united on three principle amendments but the Government was not willing to listen to them.