M A I N   N E W S

SP keeps UPA on tenterhooks
Wants Beni gone for anti-Mulayam remark
Anita Katyal/TNS

Sonia steps in Congress president Sonia Gandhi stepped in to defuse the crisis as she walked across to Mulayam Singh with folded hands in the Lok Sabha to apologise on Beni Prasad Verma’s behalf Literally bulldozed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, Verma subsequently expressed regret over his remarks Mulayam was not satisfied with this apology and insisted in his meetings with Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde that Verma be removed from the ministry

New Delhi, March 20
The crisis-ridden UPA government today got a taste of what is in store for it in the coming days, as it finds itself at the mercy of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-headed Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) after the DMK walked out on it yesterday.

Taking full advantage of the ruling combine’s increased dependence on it, the SP upped the ante over Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma’s charge that Mulayam had “links with terrorists”. Angry SP members disrupted both Houses of Parliament to demand an apology from Verma and also his removal from the council of ministers.

With no business being transacted in Parliament today, the UPA government’s floor mangers went into an overdrive to placate the SP. Congress president Sonia Gandhi stepped in to defuse the crisis as she walked across to Mulayam with folded hands in the Lok Sabha to apologise on Verma’s behalf, taking her party colleagues by surprise.

Literally bulldozed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, Verma subsequently expressed regretted his remarks. “If somebody’s sentiments are hurt by my remarks, I express regret,” Verma told mediapersons today.

However, Mulayam Singh Yadav was not satisfied with this apology and insisted in his meetings with Congress leaders that Verma be removed from the ministry. The SP Parliamentary Party is slated to meet tomorrow to take a call on this matter.

Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde also met the SP leader separately to assuage his feelings and told him that the Congress disapproved Verma’s remarks. Verma was also pulled up by Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who told Verma to apologise for his statement.

Realising that the support of the 21-member SP is crucial for the survival of the UPA government, Mulayam is clearly keeping the ruling combine on tenterhooks. The SP leader is learnt to have called on UPA ally Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Lok Sabha’s leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj to seek their support on this issue.

It is important for the Centre that this tangle is resolved immediately so that Parliament can function for the next days as the budget and the anti-rape Bill is yet to be passed by the Rajya Sabha. The UPA’s immediate concern is to ensure the successful completion of the budgetary process but its troubles will continue well after the Parliament session. While Congress leaders may be exuding confidence publicly, they privately admit that managing the SP and the BSP will prove to be a tough task for they are not rated as dependable partners.