The Hindu : New Delhi News : It’s a betrayal vote: CPI(M)

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It’s a betrayal vote: CPI(M)

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has described the July 22 exercise in the Lok Sabha as a “betrayal” vote on many counts. It alleged that the trust vote was taken to endorse Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s betrayal of the assurances given to the Left parties on how the United Progressive Alliance government would proceed with the India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal.

“If the brazen horse-trading was not indulged in, then it is clear from the figures of the MPs who have crossed over or voted against their party whip that the numbers for the ruling coalition were only 268, two short of the tally of 270 belonging to parties that issued a whip to oppose the motion, leaving aside three independents. Such political immorality constitutes yet another betrayal of the nation,” the party organ People’s Democracy said in an editorial. It said the brazen display of currency notes spoke volumes of the sordid bargaining and horse-trading that happened behind the scenes to ensure the government’s victory. “The Prime Minister may have won the vote, but his government has lost the trust of the nation.”

Noting that a large number of BJP/NDA members had voted in favour of the government or abstained, the editorial wondered whether the BJP/NDA had turned a blind eye to allow the government to win the vote and, in the bargain, allowed some of its MPs to make money.

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s speech in the Lok Sabha where he accused the Left parties of wanting to treat him as a “bonded slave,” the editorial wondered why it took him four years in office on the strength of their support to hurl such charges.

It said the Prime Minister and the UPA government sh-ould have been a “bonded sla-ve” to the Common Minimum Programme, on the basis of which the Left parties had supported the government.

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