The Hindu : National : BJP changes tack

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

National

National

BJP changes tack

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 17. The BJP Parliamentary Party this morning decided not to stall proceedings in the ongoing part of the Budget session, but draw attention to national security and other issues relevant to the common man through means available to the Opposition in the rules of procedure of the two Houses.

The Deputy Leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, told reporters after the meeting that the party would use calling attention motions and demand short duration discussions to highlight national security concerns and people's issues such as price rise.

The former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was present but could not speak because of a bad throat, Ms. Swaraj said.

The BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, told the MPs that the Manmohan Singh Government was "insensitive'' to people's sufferings on the price front and not paying enough attention to security issues.

An example of the Government's "insensitivity'' was the police firing on a group of flood-affected people in Bihar, which led to deaths. Mr. Naidu then announced that a five-member BJP parliamentary team led by the former External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, would visit Bihar to make an assessment.

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