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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
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Disinformation campaign: BJP

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Persistent reports circulating throughout the day in Parliament House, that the Bharatiya Janata Party will look the other way or condone absenteeism of its MPs on Tuesday when votes are to be cast to decide the fate of the Manmohan Singh government, were strongly denied by party leader Sushma Swaraj late on Monday evening.

Ms. Swaraj said: “A desperate government is now resorting to a disinformation campaign that the BJP wants the government to survive.”

She pointed out that the entire party machinery was straining every nerve to ensure full attendance of its MPs and their participation in the vote on the motion of confidence moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.

She denied that the BJP had become wary after Ms. Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party was projected as a prime ministerial candidate of an alternative government by some parties in the Left and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA).

Party managers said the BJP had taken great pains to make extraordinary arrangements to fly in at least four MPs who were undergoing treatment in different hospitals, including film star turned MP Dharmendra representing Bikaner. He arrived in the capital from the U.S. where he has recently had a knee replacement surgery.

Party leaders said the BJP wanted the government to fall, would make every attempt to see it does, and would welcome an early opportunity to go to the polls so that the people can give it a fresh mandate.

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