The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Venkaiah lashes out at Amar Singh

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Venkaiah lashes out at Amar Singh

‘Do not make BJP an alibi to pursue opportunistic tie-ups’

Venkaiah Naidu

HYDERABAD: Former BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu has objected to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh’s remarks against Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani and asked him not to make BJP “an alibi to pursue opportunistic politics”.

At a press conference here on Sunday, he said that while the SP and the Congress had every right to make or break alliances, they should not drag the BJP for covering up “opportunistic, time-serving and self-centred” tie-ups.

If Mr. Singh was so happy about US President George Bush, he could form an “international imperial opportunistic alliance” with him and make his leader its co-chairman, he remarked.

Asking Mr. Singh to explain what new danger secularism was facing, he criticised “some people” for linking religion with the Indo-US nuclear deal. Whatever was in the interest of the nation was also in the interest of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others. Seeking to know the basis of the SP-Congress understanding, Mr. Naidu claimed that the UPA government would not last long in spite of the alliance. He reiterated the party’s demand for immediate summoning of Parliament to seek a vote of confidence. “ If they don’t do it, we have other options,” he said.

Renegotiating deal

The National Democratic Alliance if voted to power would renegotiate the nuclear deal as the present agreement was ‘against national interest’. Replying to a question, Mr. Naidu denied the BJP’s attempt to topple the UPA government was “opportunistic”. He said there was no proposal for a BJP-Bahujan Samaj Party tie-up in Uttar Pradesh. The party was preparing to contest all the seats on its own.

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