The Hindu : National : NDA may boycott railway Budget, says Naqvi

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Sunday, Jul 04, 2004

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National

NDA may boycott railway Budget, says Naqvi

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, JULY 3. The Bharatiya Janata Party claimed today that the Government wanted a confrontation with the Opposition, and not the other way round.

The sacking of four Governors appointed by the Vajpayee Government and the `clean chit' given recently by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to "tainted" Ministers, were pointers to the Government treating the Bharatiya Janata Party with disdain, the BJP party spokesperson and vice-president, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said today.

His party, along with the National Democratic Alliance parties, were likely to `boycott' the Railway Budget to be presented by the Railways Minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, as Mr. Yadav was one of the "tainted" Ministers. The final decision would be taken at a NDA meeting on July 5, but Mr. Naqvi hinted that the Opposition might participate in the debate on the Railway Budget as it would be counter-productive.

On the party's attitude in Parliament on the presentation of the Union Budget on July 8, there were equally strong hints that the BJP may not boycott it or disrupt the proceedings as that could also send the wrong political signal.

However, the BJP blamed the Government for not making any real effort to resolve the impasse that started on day one of the first session of the 14th Lok Sabha and continued right through the session. The view was that by sacking the Governors just before the start of the budget session, the Government had shown a "red rag" to the Opposition.

Mr. Naqvi did not agree that the Vajpayee Government in 1998 did precisely what the Manmohan Singh Government has done now - sack some Governors soon after assuming office.

Mr. Naqvi insisted that "there was nothing wrong'' in Governors declaring that they were loyal `swayamsevaks' of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The party attacked Mr. Yadav for not being able to check the frequent looting and violence on trains.

The party counted 16 incidents over the last 40 days.

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