New Delhi, December 9
The NDA today decided to continue to press with its demand in the Lok Sabha for the Prime Minister’s statement on the spat between two Cabinet Ministers, Mr Laloo Prasad and Mr Ram Vilas Paswan. One of the NDA constituents, the All-India Federation of Democratic Parties (AIFDP), has moved a breach of privilege notice against the two ministers for misleading the House.
The BJP’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, Mr Sushil Modi, will move a similar notice tomorrow in the lower House, party spokesperson V. K. Malhotra said here.
The NDA leaders, who met under the chairmanship of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the chamber of Leader of the Opposition L. K. Advani to review the NDA strategy to pin down the government, decided that they would not disturb the question hour but raise the issue strongly in the Zero Hour.
The leaders later met Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to apprise him of their decision and urge him to direct the government to make a statement on the issue.
AIFDP leader P. C. Thomas said he had moved a privilege notice against Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav for misleading the House by saying that he had not made any charges against Mr Paswan.
Mr Malhotra said Mr Laloo Prasad could not get away simply by asserting that he had not made any charges. All these accusations were made at public meetings and press conferences.
The charges levelled were serious and the Prime Minister must clear the doubts, as it involved two of his Cabinet Ministers, he said.
The notice would be served along with television footage and newspaper clippings in support of the claim, Mr Malhotra said.
Mr Malhotra condemned and termed as “most unfortunate” the non-acceptance of the Opposition’s demand for the Prime Minister’s statement.
He said the BJP was also considering moving a notice for breach of privilege against Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil for making “mutually contradictory” statements on the issue of infiltration.
“While Mr Patil had claimed there was a decrease in infiltration from across the border, Mr Mukherjee has said infiltration bids went up last month”, he
added.
