The Hindu : National : BJP dissatisfied with reply

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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BJP dissatisfied with reply

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed its "dissatisfaction" with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address.

Its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj was unhappy that Mr. Singh claimed a better record than that of the National Democratic Alliance Government on the internal security front. Dr. Singh did not support his claim with facts and figures, she told reporters. "I spoke to Advaniji [Leader of the Opposition] and he told me that he would be writing a letter to the Prime Minister."

The BJP was particularly critical of the Prime Minister's remark that while after the Sabarmati Express fire and the subsequent Godhra riots shook Gujarat, the United Progressive Alliance Government had firmly prevented the outbreak of communal violence after the Mumbai local train blasts.

Manmohan silent

Ms. Swaraj said the Prime Minister failed to respond to some of the BJP's concerns raised. "He was silent on the details of the joint anti-terror mechanism being set up with Pakistan. He did not respond to our allegation of an arrangement or an understanding between the Congress and ULFA in Assam."

She charged the Congress with inability to resolve several UPA policy contradictions. High growth rate and high inflation had led to a dilemma between the economist in Dr. Singh and the Prime Minister in him.

Food security

While the UPA talked of food security, fertile agricultural land was being given for developing special economic zones. While increased credit was being made available to farmers, the number of suicides among them had risen and spread to newer areas. The Government was unable to free farmers from indebtedness.

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