UPA’ s trust vote

The count down to the crucial trust vote to be moved by the UPA government on the 22nd July in the Lok Sabha has begun. Hectic parleys by political parties are going on to garner as much support as possible to their view point. The UPA and its allies strongly supporting the Indo-US nuclear deal are trying their best to rope in the undecided MPs numbering 11 belonging to smaller parties like the JD(S) of Deve Gowda (2 MPs), National Conference of Omar Abdullah (2 MPs), Rastriya LokDal of Ajit Singh (3MPs) etc whose votes would decide the fate of the trust vote. The Left Parties are leaving no stone unturned to defeat the trust vote at all cost, making friends with erstwhile enemies and joining hands with fundamentalist party like the BJP, which the veteran communist leader Jyoti Basu considered greater enemy than the Indo-US nuclear deal. The CPI(M) MPs from West Bengal expressed their uneasiness at the prospect of voting along with their enemy– the BJP. The issue of resignation of Somnath Chatterjee, as Speaker of the Lok Sabha seems to have divided the party. Somnath Chatterjee was unhappy for dragging the name of the Speaker in the list of MPs withdrawing support to the government submitted by CPI(M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat to the President of India. He has indicated that if he had to resign as the Speaker, he would like to resign as MP also. The CPI(M) has now joined hands with Mayawati and expect 17 BSP MPs to vote against the trust motion. It would a be neck to neck fight and every vote would be crucial.The bone of contention between the UPA and the Left Parties-the India Safeguard Agreement submitted to the IAEA has now been made public. It is doubtful if all the parties and all the MPs have studied this important document. Brajesh Misra, National Security Adviser during NDA regime and a trusted policy adviser of the then Prune Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee has termed the document as the best possible agreement under the present circumstances .He also commented that renegotiation of the deal after coming to power by the BJP would be difficult and might be impossible. The BJP has distanced itself from Mishra’s well considered opinion but did not dare to silence him by taking disciplinary action. Nor is the deal anti Muslim as propogated by Mayawati. Muslim MPs have found that the deal has nothing to do with religion and several of them have openly given support to the deal. The future of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president, Sonia Gandhi rests on winning the trust vote. Let us hope that every one will see the light today so that tomorrow will not be dark. source: assam tribune editorial 15.07.08

Left withdraws support to UPA

From Kalyan Barooah NEW DELHI, July 8 – The UPA Government at the Centre plunged into its worst crisis till date, with the Left Parties withdrawing support over the nuclear deal, leaving the Dr Manmohan Singh Government high and dry. However, the Congress Party put up a brave front and declared that there was no threat to the Government. The Congress Party’s confidence followed Samajvadi Party’s unanimous support to the UPA Government.An upset Left said the time has come to pull the rug. Not content, the Left is also planning to request President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil to ask the Prime Minister to seek a vote of trust in the Lok Sabha to prove his government majority, when they call on her here tomorrow to submit the letter of withdrawal of support.In a day fast paced with political developments that saw almost all big and small players confabulating on the fate of Dr Manmohan Singh Government, leaders quickly picked up their calculators, to see if the UPA combine had the numbers to survive.The Left parties were first to set the ball rolling when it met in the morning at its headquarters to draft the letter to External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee. They accused the ruling Congress-led coalition of refusing to provide the text to the members of the Committee on Indo-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation and said the proposed meeting on July 10 would not serve any purpose in this context.It is critical for the country that the safeguards agreement was discussed with full transparency and not kept secret, said CPM general secretary, Prakash Karat.“Why is the Manmohan Singh Government keeping the draft of the IAEA agreement secret from the people,” the Left leader asked.The brief announcement by Karat-led the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi convene an emergency meeting of its senior leaders. In the evening, the all-powerful Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) was held, which was presided over by Mukherjee, in absence of the Prime Minister, who is away in Japan. The meeting was convened to fix a date for the special session of Parliament. Indication was that the government could go in for a trust vote on July 28.The Congress Party later described the Left action as most unfortunate. “When the entire nation is mourning those killed in the Kabul blast, the Left has chosen to make the announcement. It is most unfortunate. They think their prestige is more important than the nation’s prestige,” chairman of the AICC media department, Veerappa Moily said, reacting to the Left’s announcement.Yet, perhaps the biggest set back was suffered by SP, when at least six of its MPs gave broad hints they might oppose the opportunistic alliance with the Congress. Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav announced in the morning that all was well in the party after a meeting of the party Parliamentary Board, only to be contradicted by his colleague, Jai Prakash in Lucknow that a section of them opposed the move.He said each of its 39 MPs is solidly behind the Indo-US Nuclear deal. He requested the Left parties not to join the communal forces.Fishing in troubled waters, BJP president, Rajnath Singh attacked both the Left Parties and the UPA and demanded that a special session of Parliament should be convened immediately and the Prime Minister should seek a vote of confidence. He said the BJP leaders would approach the President of India to direct the present government to seek the trust vote. His statement came after an emergency meeting of the party’s office bearers, here this evening, to discuss the current political scenario and draft its future strategy. The day also saw a war of words between the Congress, Left and opposition parties. The Left held the Prime Minister responsible for precipitating the crisis, when he declared that Government would very soon approach the IAEA to move forward on the deal. The four parties- CPI (M), CPI, Forward Bloc and RSP lost no time in firming up plans to pull out of the coalition government, which it was supporting from outside.Karat also released the draft of the letter to Mukherjee. Since the UPA has refused to provide the text of the Safeguards Agreements to the members of the UPA-Left Committee, no purpose will be served by having a meeting.Further, the proposal for a meeting on the 10th is rendered meaningless since the Prime Minister, while travelling abroad, has chosen to announce that the government will be going to Board of Governors of the IAEA “very soon”.Previously, the Left parties had decided that if the government goes to the IAEA Board of Governors, they will withdraw support, the letter said.Meanwhile, allies rushed to extend support, ruling out any threat to the survival of the UPA government. RJD president Lalu Prasad said the alliance has majority support and it will be proved in Parliament. Later, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar also said that the government is stable. source: assam tribune

BJP lambasts UPA for illegal influx

From Our Spl Correspondent NEW DELHI, July 7 – Strategising along expected lines, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to rake up the issues of Chinese intrusion into Arunachal Pradesh and illegal influx from Bangladesh and its devastating impact on the North-East, in a major way. Come Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is going to enter the election scene in the North-East, particularly in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with all guns blazing, targeting the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre and the Tarun Gogoi government in the State.Releasing BJP’s own version of the Report Card on the four years of UPA Government here today, Rajya Sabha MP and party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said it was hardly anything to be proud of, and for all intents and purposes, the UPA has been a total failure on every front, gasping for its last breath.The 118-page booklet brought out by the main Opposition party has 18 chapters, and elaborately deals with the North-East. The BJP countered the Centre’s claim on the internal security, asserting that it has in fact deteriorated. In Assam, the Congress Government is turning a blind eye to a sinister bid to create tension between Karbis and Dimasas. The Congress Government has colluded with the perpetrators of these assaults on the nation’s integrity.In Manipur, it looks like the writ of the UPA government does not run there. Returning to its pet theme, the saffron party said that Assam’s Muslim population has trebled in the last 50 years. The Muslim population in Assam has increased by over 313 per cent as against the Hindu population growth rate of 193 per cent, in half-a-century between 1951-2001. Again quoting former Director General of Census Operations, NC Dutta, the BJP booklet held that it was due to illegal influx from Bangladesh that lower Assam and Barak valley districts had registered a high rate of population increase.The UPA Government has adopted a myopic and selfish approach towards the grave problems of demographic invasion by Bangladeshi infiltrators, giving no thought to the long-term harm that this could do to India’s security, unity and integrity, it said.The BJP criticised Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for describing former Governor Lt Gen Ajai Singh’s report on illegal migrants as being “totally baseless”.The Congress governments at the Centre and in the State are responsible for the current state of affairs in Assam, as they have always followed the policy of vote-bank even at the cost of national interests, the BJP alleged.The party, quoting an Intelligence Bureau report, also expressed concern at the high growth of madrassas in 12 States, including Assam. The border State of Assam has 2002 madrassas, which is lower than West Bengal (2116). The highest number of madrassas is in Kerala (9,975), it said.Touching on the ULFA issue, the Report Card pointed towards the outfit’s links with ISI and alleged that the ULFA is ultimately fighting the Jehadi war on behalf of ISI, which is calling the shots. “The ULFA is outsourcing explosives and IEDs from ISI. The Home Ministry’s report also confirms that ISI has succeeded in bringing ULFA, MULFA and MULTA together to carry out subversive activities”.The BJP held the Assam Government’s soft stand on insurgency responsible for the continued targeting of the Hindi-speaking people in the State. “It is a well-known fact that the Congress had taken the help of ULFA in elections and because of this, it is unable to deal with the banned outfit firmly,” it alleged.“Indecisiveness in tackling ULFA militants might unleash forces that would be injurious to inter-state cohesion and national unity,” it opined.The BJP Report Card also took a close look at the reports of intrusion by Chinese Army, mainly into Arunachal Pradesh. The UPA seems to be groping in the dark on its relations and dealings with China. It has no definite policy, the Report Card charged, attacking the Left parties as well.The villain of the piece is the UPA’s total dependence on the Left for its survival. For the CPM, the interests of China are superior to those of the nation, it said. The BJP has demanded that a Joint Parliamentary Committee should visit the spot to verify the situation, but UPA Government has so far not taken any steps to clear the mist, it said referring to intrusions in Sumdorong Chu Valley, Asapila and Taksin areas. The BJP booklet had, however, some major errors. It mentioned that its MPs Khiren Rijiju and Tapir Gaon were from Sikkim.The party questioned the UPA Government’s policy on Tibet, repeated incursions by China, refusal of visa to an IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh cadre, alleging that the UPA Govt is indulging in blatant appeasement of China. The BJP also described the proposed road to Mount Everest as a security threat to India. The Chinese efforts to divert the Brahmaputra river away from India would have serious ramifications. The project envisages a series of 11 dams around the Brahmaputra loop. India can ignore thee developments on India-Tibet border only at its peril, it said. source: assam tribune

Life line to UPA

The suspense about the survival of the Congress-led UPA government appeared to have ended with Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh of the Samajwadi party publicly endorsing the government move on the Indo-US nuclear deal after seeking clarification on the deal from the ex-President and noted scientist Dr. APJ Kalam. The Left led by Prakash Karat, stunned by the U turn of the Samajwadi Party, issued a letter to the government giving a deadline of 7th July to indicate the government time frame to approach the IAEA so that formal parting with the UPA could be operationalised,so to speak.The Left’s anti US phobia made it blind to the benefit India would derive on signing the 123 agreement which would end India’s nuclear isolation and allow trading with 45-country nuclear supplier group(NSG) for Uranium to run the idle power plants. This is a historic blunder like the one committed earlier when the politbureau refused to allow the veteran CPI(M) leader Jyoti Basu to become the Prime Minister of India. The Left leaders, most of whom had not contested election in their life time like Prakash Karat,Sitararn Yechury,Brinda Karat would not care for the consequences of their action, particularly in West Bengal where ground beneath the Left had been eroding as evident from the results of the local body elections.Dr Manmohan Singh,Prirne Minister frequently dubbed as the weakest Prime Minister by Prime Minister aspirant L.K.Advani of the BJP must be having the last laugh. He proved to the nation that he could be tough when the situation so demanded and the Indo-US nuclear deal arranged after prolonged negotiation with safeguard to national interest could not be sacrificed at the insistence of the Left parties-a millstone that had to be got rid of. He could now go the G-8 summit in Japan with his head held high and move IAEA in mid July and expect to complete all formalities before September to meet the US dead line. The Indo-US nuclear deal would be one of the lasting legacies of the Congress led UPA government plagued by price rise and high inflation before it goes to next Lok Sabha election. The new found friendship between Congress and the Samajwadi Party ending long standing animosity might have given temporary reprieve to the UPA government but how long lasting it would be? Amar Singh in a television interview admitted that they committed a blunder in not extending support to Sonia Gandhi in 1999 to form the Government. The Samajwadi Party leaders would now demand a pound of flesh for their support. Already they have raised their voices against two central Ministers, Murli Deora for rise in petroleum prices and Chidambaram for failure to control inflation. Besides.Mulayam Singh has a disproportionate assets case pending against him. He would expect the Central government to go slow in the case. The Congress- Samajwadi Party alliance proves the adage that in politics there were no permanent foes. source: assam tribune

Seek confidence vote in Lok Sabha, Advani tells government

Seek confidence vote in Lok Sabha, Advani tells government

June 29, 2008 20:12 IST
Asking the United Progressive Alliance government to seek a confidence vote in the Lok Sabha if it wanted to go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal, Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart L K Advani on Sunday said the Centre should focus on burning issues and development instead of fighting with the Left over the proposed pact.

"We will ask the government to face a confidence vote in the Lok Sabha on the nuclear issue following the present political situation," Advani said while addressing a rally in Rourkela.
The UPA government, Advani said, was wasting time in fighting the Left parties on the nuclear deal instead of concentrating on development and solving burning problems.

"We cannot sacrifice our atomic energy and future tests in Pokhran by signing the agreement with the USA," Advani said pointing out that it was during BJP-led National Democratic Alliance rule that the second Pokhran test was conducted.

Advani lashed out at the UPA government for increasing Naxal activities in the country and said during the NDA regime insurgency was under control due to inter-state coordination meetings of naxal affected states which was abolished by the present government.

The BJP leader said the NDA government had given priority on national security and to control cross border terrorism which had been totally neglected now. Earlier, Advani addressing the concluding session of the two-day state executive body meeting of the BJP in Rourkela, asked the rank and cadre to be prepared for elections any time. source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/29advani.htm

Congress will go ahead with N-deal: Moily

Congress will go ahead with N-deal: Moily

June 25, 2008 23:01 IST
Even as Left parties stuck to their firm opposition to Indo-US nuclear deal, the Congress on Wednesday struck an aggressive posture, saying it was going ahead with the agreement with the timing of its choice.

"We are going ahead with the deal. That is very clear. And the timing is ours. We will choose our own time," senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily told NDTV.

His remarks came soon after the UPA-Left Committee meeting failed to end the deadlock between the two sides on the issue.

However, notwithstanding the standoff, he said, "We are confident that logic and rationale will be driven home to Left parties. We will put the country's national interest foremost than their party agenda."

Suggesting that all attempts were made to bring Left parties on-board on the issue, Moily said "they have lot of apprehensions and we should also give them the space".

"Not that we bulldoze our decision like that in a coalition arrangements like this. We are taking steps one by one. We are really gaining ground to the extent that we are driving home the issues to the Left parties from the beginning", he said.

Asked what was stopping the Congress from going ahead with the deal, he said the party had never said that the decision would be taken today itself.

Beleaguered UPA govt

Beleaguered UPA govt

Tile UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh is heading for an uncertain future with stalemate on the Indo-US nuclear deal due to unrelenting opposition to the deal by the Left parties on one hand and the Prime Minister’s keen desire to complete its business with the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) for country’s credibility, soaring thirteen year high inflation of 11.05 per cent and withdrawal of support to the UPA government by Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party on the other. Dr Manmohan Singh has expressed his desire to quit if he could not carry the UPA alliance with him to negotiate the India-Specific safeguard with the IAEA,a necessary step to conclude the Indo-US nuclear deal. The Left parties have threatened to withdraw support to the Government in case the Government go ahead with negotiation with the IAEA in spite of its opposition to the move. The Left parties’ objection to the Indo-US nuclear deal was mainly on the ground that such a deal would lead to strategic partnership between India and US and tilt India’s foreign policy towards US whereas the UPA Government and the top nuclear scientists feel that Indo-US nuclear deal was essential for ending India’s nuclear isolation and meet India’s future requirement of energy through nuclear power plants. Even China and Russia have entered into such 123 agreements. The Left parties have made it known that their stand is non-negotiable and they would withdraw support if the UPA Government proceeds with IAEA negotiation.Desperate attempts by the UPA allies like the NCP,RJD,DMK to break the impasse and save the UPA Government from falling, are going on in New Delhi. Mayawati’s withdrawal of support would not reduce the UPA alliance to a minority at present. The Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav is inching closer to the Congress and likely to fill the gap with 39 MPs.Except the BJP,no other political party would like to have election sooner than scheduled. The CPI(M) general secretary,Prakash Karat has met the DMK leader M.Karunanidhi and requested him to mediate and resolve the impasse.The veteran politician did not want any disruption in the unity among UPA allies that would help communal forces. All the allies of the UPA are against election when the inflation has crossed two digits and likely to move up further prices of essential commodities beyond the reach of common people. They are pressing Sonia Gandhi to save the situation by advising the Prime Minister to go slow with the IAEA.The crucial UPA-Left coordination meeting to be held today will show whether reconciliation of the irreconcilable has taken place or the country goes to early polls. Source: assam tribune editorial