NEW DELHI: The Opposition has made up its mind to press for an adjournment motion demanding the resignation of Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance and of Natwar Singh from the Cabinet on the basis of the Volcker Committee Report. After a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party parliamentary wing and another session of National Democratic Alliance MPs here on Wednesday, the BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, V.K. Malhotra, said an adjournment motion would be moved in the House and a motion under Rule 176 in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Allies attend meeting

Members of the Janata Dal (United), the Shiv Sena, the Akali Dal, the Biju Janata Dal, the Trinamool Congress and other allies were present at the NDA meeting chaired by the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"They have said they would welcome a discussion on any subject under any rule," Mr. Malhotra said, referring to the stand taken by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi on Tuesday.

It would not be up to the ruling party to object to the adjournment motion, Mr. Malhotra said to a question whether not allowing the discussion would mean disruption. Asked whether or not they would abide by the Speaker's decision, he said if both the Opposition and the ruling parties agreed, the Chair would surely allow the motion.

The NDA would forcefully raise the allegation that Mr. Singh and the Congress received oil coupons from the previous Iraqi regime; that the party in the past received funds from the former Soviet intelligence agency, the KGB, as alleged in the Mitrokhin Archives; and that it also received funds from the Central Intelligence Agency as alleged by the former U.S. Ambassador to India, Patrick Moynihan, in a book published more than a decade ago.

"Selling national interest"

The Opposition would try to make out a case against the Congress of "selling national interests" and of "creating an opportunity for foreign powers to interfere in India's policy," Mr. Malhotra said.

Privately BJP leaders indicated that the Opposition, by bringing in the Moynihan allegation, was trying to embarrass the Left. For, the former Ambassador alleged that the CIA helped to finance the toppling of the first Communist Government in Kerala.

The other "top priority" subject was internal security with special reference to the Deepavali-eve blastsin Delhi, the violent incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent naxal attack at Jehanabad, Bihar.

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