M A I N   N E W S

Outburst unwarranted: PM
Says Sonia has lowered Parliament’s prestige
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today added an appendix to the sabre-rattling of the just-concluded Budget session when he came out with a statement expressing “pain” over the “angry and emotional outburst” of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mrs Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

Asserting that he had not said “anything objectionable” to warrant an “emotional outburst” from Sonia Gandhi, Mr Vajpayee dismissed as “baseless” her charge that the government was vindictive towards her and members of her family.

“It is unfortunate for Mrs Gandhi to have alleged that the government is vindictive towards her and members of her family. The allegation is baseless.”

“It was not an occasion to express anger. Such episodes lower the prestige of Indian Parliament”, he said in the statement.

In an unsual display of emotion, Mrs Gandhi had hit back at the Prime Minister’s speech on Friday which she found objectionable.

“For years they (the BJP) have insulted my mother-in-law day in and day out. They had crucified my husband”, Mrs Gandhi, who is normally reticent, had said.

Mrs Gandhi’s remarks were prompted by the Prime Minister’s speech in Parliament on Friday when he said that “it is regrettable that no one tried to restrain those shouting the abuses against me; aspersions were cast on my integrity”.

Two-days after the angry attack from her, the Prime Minister today said: “I fail to understand how my speech provoked such an angry and personalised outburst from the Leader of the Opposition”.

Dismissing her charges that the BJP had used “abusive language” against former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Mr Vajpayee said when he was an ordinary Member of Parliament and also as the Leader of the Opposition, he always “stood up to stop the use of derogatory and unbecoming remarks in Parliament”.