The Hindu : Front Page : Opposition being gagged, says NDA

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Thursday, Apr 28, 2005

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Front Page

Opposition being gagged, says NDA

Special Correspondent

`Not dropping Lalu is political opportunism'

"I do not expect the Prime Minister to give in... . we have to keep the Bihar polls in mind"

NEW DELHI: Members of the Opposition aligned to the National Democratic Alliance stayed away from both the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday holding the United Progressive Alliance Government ``guilty of setting new and absolutely unacceptable norms of political conduct.'' Leaders of the NDA parties asked their members not to sign in their attendance in Parliament for the rest of the week.

The NDA said the treasury benches were ``gagging the voice of the Opposition'' and charged the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, with indulging in ``political opportunism'' by not dropping the Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, from the Cabinet as his Government was dependent on Mr. Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal for its survival.

At a press conference here on Wednesday the NDA convener, George Fernandes, and the Leader of the Opposition and BJP president, L.K. Advani, said their members would stay away from Parliament this week and ``review the situation'' on Monday.

A unanimous statement approved at an NDA meeting on Tuesday claimed that the UPA Government was vindictive, that it had adopted a ``confrontationist and hostile attitude'' and that it had trampled upon the opposition's rights and privileges.

The Government's message was that the Opposition was not needed, the NDA statement said.

`No charges against Modi'

Mr. Advani said the Vajpayee government maintained ``the highest standards of probity'' by securing the resignations of Buta Singh, Muthaiya, Harin Pathakh, Gingee Ramachandran and Dilip Singh Judev from his Government when charges were framed against them or ``as soon as a shadow'' was cast on them. However, he justified his own continuation as Minister and that of his colleagues Uma Bharti and Murli Manohar Joshi despite the charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case as those charges ``relate to a movement'' and had ``nothing to do with corruption.''

He also defended Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, as ``no charges have been framed against Modi.''

Mr. Advani was asked why the previous Kalyan Singh Government had several Ministers facing charges of murder and rape. He said that ``we are now talking about the NDA and the Centre,'' but when further questioned he said that the same standards should apply to Ministers in the States as to those at the Centre.

Accepting that there was no constitutional or legal bar against a minister holding a portfolio after charges were framed against him, Mr. Advani said the NDA was making a political statement.

Later, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader made it plain that the decision to keep up the pressure on Mr. Prasad was taken with an eye on possible polls in Bihar in less than six months.

``They demanded the resignation of George Fernandes when they were in the Opposition and we did not give in, now we are demanding the resignation of Lalu Prasad and I do not expect the Prime Minister to give in... we have to keep the Bihar polls in mind,'' the Leader of the Opposition said.

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