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| The Prime
Minister said "I have often said that I am a politician by
accident....... whatever I have done in this high office I have done so
with a clear conscience and the best interest of my country." |
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The UPA Government scored an emphatic victory in the confidence vote in the Lok Sabha with a comfortable margin, ending the political uncertainty that will enable the ruling coalition to push ahead with the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
The motion, which was forced by the Left parties' decision to withdraw support to the Government on the deal, was adopted with sizeable cross-voting from Opposition members including at least one visibly from TDP. There was erosion in opposition numbers with only 256 opposing the motion against 275 supporting it. In a House with an effective strength of 541, the Government needed 271 and in the ultimate result it got four more than the half-way mark, belying predictions of a cliffhanger of a contest.
The day was marred by high drama when BJP members shocked the House displaying bundles of currency notes claiming Rs one crore was given to them as advance by a Samajwadi Party leader to abstain from voting. Charges and counter-charges over the bribery allegations disrupted proceedings for over two hours with the Opposition members not allowing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make his customary reply winding up the two-day debate that was often acrimonious.
In his six-page reply, which was laid on the table, the Prime Minister hit out at the Left parties saying "they wanted me to behave as their bonded slave.They wanted a veto over every single step of negotiations which is not acceptable," he said with regard to the negotiating processes he wanted to undertake with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group before operationalising the nuclear agreement. Singh said the nuclear agreement will end India's nuclear isolation and apartheid and asserted that the agreements negotiated with the US, Russia, France and other countries would enable India to enter into international trade for civilian use without any interference with the nation's strategic nuclear programme. The Prime Minister said "I have often said that I am a politician by accident....... whatever I have done in this high office I have done so with a clear conscience and the best interest of my country."
M Jagannath of the TDP, who apparently defied the party whip, came to the Prime Minister soon after the vote and congratulated him. Later, he was seen seated in the Congress benches before the result was officially announced by the Speaker. It was not also clear after the corrections how many abstained and how many votes were cast in all.
Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee was the first to congratulate the Prime Minister followed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi who is also the UPA Chairperson. The Prime Minister hugged Rahul Gandhi who made a brief speech hailing the Prime Minister's initiative on the nuclear deal. Singh was also profusely congratulated by almost all the Union Ministers and members of the ruling combine who crowded around him while waiting for the official declaration of the result. As Sonia Gandhi beamed in relief, Pranab Mukherjee was also the centre of attraction for the UPA MPs. CPI-M member Varkala Radhakrishnan was the lone Opposition MP to move to the treasury benches to congratulate the Prime Minister.
PM’s reaction:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reacting to the win in confidence vote, described as "convincing" his government's victory in the confidence vote in Lok Sabha and said this has sent an important message to the world that India was ready to take its rightful place in the commity of nations. Emerging from Parliament fresh from the triumph, the Prime Minister told reporters that Tuesday's developments in Parliament when BJP MPs levelled allegations of attempts to bribe them had made him "extremely sad".
Thanking the UPA leadership and its constituents for a "convincing" victory in the trust vote, a beaming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said whatever is necessary under the law will be done on charges of bribing MPs. "Whatever necessary in accordance with the provisions of the law will be done," Singh told reporters in the Parliament complex. He was replying to a question on the cross-voting and charges of bribery. The Prime Minister said "these developments(bribery charges) made me extremely sad, if true,". He said the government would cooperate to see that "the truth is established. In my speech, which I was not allowed to deliver and which I tabled in Parliament, I had started off saying the developments (BJP MPs' bribery charge) have made me extremely sad," he said.
Pointing out that the Speaker was seized of the matter, Singh said "wait for his findings. We will cooperate and whatever is in accordance with law will be done in this case." The Prime Minister said he was "very happy" about the outcome of the trust vote and "grateful to the honorable members of Parliament for giving me a convincing victory. I thank Sonia Gandhi, leaders of the UPA and supporting parties, Congressmen who in a single-minded pursuit worked for this impressive victory.
FM’s reaction:
Finance Minister P Chidambaram reacting to UPA’s win in confidence vote, said the Government will now push ahead with the unfinished economic reforms agenda after its victory in the confidence vote. "With 275 votes, this government has an absolute majority and this is a confidence to go forward," he said.
Crucial legislations in insurance and banking sectors and bills for setting up of a pension regulatory body and one for unorganized sector had been pending following opposition from the Left parties that were till recently providing outside support to the UPA Government. "The Government will be approaching other members who are not opposed to economic and social reforms and so we will move ahead with the reforms," Chidambaram said. "Now we have crossed a major bridge that is the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. Now, we will move ahead on economic and social reforms."
SP’s reaction:
The Samajwadi Party, whose crucial support helped the UPA government win the trust vote, said the politics of Left parties and BJP have been "exposed" by the result of the trial of strength in the Lok Sabha. "The politics of Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, A B Bardhan along with BJP's L K Advani have been exposed.. Both Lals (Advani and Left parties) are destroyed now," SP leader Amar Singh said adding they would have to answer to the people for the act. Singh also said today was "the happiest day in his political carrier. This day, (today) Manmohan Singh government won the trust vote... this is the happiest day in my entire political carrier," Singh told reporters when asked for his reaction on the UPA government's success.
"This is the victory of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's policy.... this is the victory of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mulayam Singh Yadav," Amar Singh said. Attacking the safforn party, he said "BJP and RSS had killed (Mahatma) Gandhi.... and today they tried to assassianate my character." On Mayawati, the SP leader said "she is the biggest threat to herself."
As a shell-shocked country witnessed BJP MPs showing wads of currency notes they allege were given as bribe for abstaining during confidence motion, Samajwadi Party said the allegation was a conspiracy by the saffron party to topple the UPA government. Reacting to allegations that a SP leader offered Rs three crore each to three BJP MPs, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav claimed it was a conspiracy by the BJP and its leaders to defame his party and topple the government. He claimed the amount of Rs 1 crore cannot be stuffed in such a small bag shown by the three BJP Lok Sabha members in the Lok Sabha.
Yadav demanded immediate arrest of BJP MP Ashok Agarwal who made the allegation and an inquiry into his allegations. He also said the fingerprints in the bags should be examined to bring the acutal person who delivered money to book. "BJP members can go to any extent and the way they have come forward shows this. I know the nefarious designs of the BJP. They have even tried to kill me. Then I escaped and thanked the God," Yadav told reporters here. "I have many secrets of the BJP. Don't ask me to bare them", he said. The SP chief said the BJP by its "smear" campaign of bribing has "defamed" the Lok Sabha. "They have brought disrespect to the biggest democracy of the world", he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s reaction:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he was "very proud" of the Prime Minister of having achieved the victory. Gandhi said he was disgusted at the events relating to bribery allegations by BJP MPs in Parliament. "I am not interested in whether we won or lost. I think what is important here is what is right for India," said Rahul.
Opposition Leader’s reaction:
Leader of the Opposition L K Advani reacting to UPA’s substantial win in confidence motion said the UPA Government had only scored a numerical victory and not a moral victory. "There is something like numerical legitimacy and moral legitimacy. The Government scored the numerical victory but lost on moral grounds," Advani told reporters after Manmohan Singh government won the trust vote. Advani said the UPA victory only validated the theory that money power was used to secure votes. "Earlier there were only suspicions but today's episode has validated the fact that money was used."
CPI(M)’s reaction:
The CPI(M) termed the winning of trust vote by the Manmohan Singh government as the "sad day" of Parliamentary democracy as it was accompanied by charges of bribery and horse trading. "It is a sad day for Parliamentary democracy in India when all norms are sacrificed for a nuclear deal which is against the interest of the country," CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told PTI minutes after the confidence vote in Lok Sabha. He said the Congress may take satisfaction from the government winning the vote of confidence but the trust vote has been accompanied by reports of "bribery, intimidation and horse-trading”. He added, “The CPI(M) will continue the struggle against the Indo-US nuclear deal and the Manmohan Singh government."
RSP General Secretary’s reaction:
Terming the termed the trust vote outcome as a "victory of horse-trading", RSP General Secretary T J Chandrachoodan said "we do not recognize this as a victory of the UPA. They won because of intense horse-trading." He said it was a day in which the face of Indian democracy was "blackened”. He stressed, "All the niceties of Indian democracy were buried today. The UPA government will have to pay for this".
Speaker’s reaction on bribery charges against UPA govt.:
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said nobody will be spared if found guilty in the allegations of bribery to three BJP MPs for abstaining from the vote of confidence. Describing the incident when one of the MPs displayed bundles of currency allegedly given to him as bribe as "most unfortunate and a very sad day in the history of Parliament", the Speaker promised that all possible steps will be taken as custodian of the House. "Nobody will be spared if found guilty," he said adjourning the House for the fourth time in the wake of the bribery allegations. He said there was a meeting of political leaders to discuss the issue and he has requested the three BJP MPs to give their complaint in writing to him. Chatterjee said he has already heard them.
Mamata’s reaction:
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee demanded immediate Lok Sabha polls, saying she bowed her head in shame after allegations of three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, that they were offered cash to abstain during the confidence vote. What has happened in parliament is unethical. I bow my head in shame. Lot of immoral things were done to secure votes," Banerjee told newspersons after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government won the trust vote in the Lok Sabha.
Banerjee, the sole Lok Sabha member from Trinamool, did not take part in the two-day special session convened for the confidence motion, and stayed rooted in Kolkata. he said the UPA could remain in power for the next six months, but it would be proper for the government to go for elections immediately. Banerjee also criticised Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for "clinging" to his post. "Why did he stick to his post? He should have resigned earlier," she said.
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