|
Unhappy Pawar, Patel offer to quit
Thursday July 19, 2012 11:39:35 PM,
IANS
|
|
|
|
|
New Delhi: The ruling
Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Thursday was
embroiled in fresh ally trouble with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and
his lieutenant Praful Patel handing over their resignations from
the government over the way the Congress has "denigrated and
humiliated the coalition".
Pawar and Patel sent in their resignations to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh late in the evening. The prime minister is
understood to have said he will not accept it, sources told IANS.
The two ministers will not be attending office from Friday, but
the party will continue in the alliance, the source added.
The Nationalist Congress Party, with which the Congress shares
government in Maharashtra, is upset over the way the Congress has
"denigrated and humiliated the coalition", party spokesperson D.P.
Tripathi told IANS.
The signs of trouble were apparent when Pawar and Patel boycotted
the cabinet meeting Thursday evening chaired by the prime
minister.
The unhappiness of the ally was rumoured to be over Agriculture
Minister Pawar not being given the number two slot following the
exit of Pranab Mukherjee.
The boycott of the cabinet meeting by the NCP was the first time
in eight years, according to Tripathi.
Both Pawar and Heavy Industries Minister Patel attended a meeting
with party leaders when the cabinet was on, a party leader source
said.
Though Patel downplayed their absence, telling reporters that
nothing should be read into their action, Tripathi was more
outspoken.
He said the NCP had "problems in how they (Pawar and Patel) were
being treated" in the cabinet. The NCP has nine MPs in the Lok
Sabha.
He underlined that it was the "first time in the last eight years"
that the NCP had acted in this manner.
Asked if the party was upset that Pawar had not been made the
number two in the government after Mukherjee quit the government
for presidency, Tripathi said Pawar had never asked for any
position.
The spokesman said the "problems were much higher" and would be
discussed at a party meeting. He did not elaborate.
He said the NCP has "always supported the policies of the
government", and denied that Pawar was hankering after being made
the de facto number two.
"Mr Pawar has never demanded anything in his long political life",
and added that the NCP has always demanded a "political
coordination committee".
Mukherjee had always occupied the seat next to the prime minister
at cabinet meetings.
After he quit, Pawar occupied the seat during a cabinet meeting.
However, at the last meeting, Defence Minister A.K. Antony took
the seat, indicating he had been made the de facto number two.
|
|
Home |
Top of the Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
Advantage Pranab as lawmakers vote to elect
new president
Indian
lawmakers Thursday voted to elect a new president in what is a
direct contest between ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
candidate Pranab Mukherjee
»
The mathematics of India's presidential poll
Race for Raisina Hill on, Pranab, Sangma
file nominations
|
|
|
|
Most Read |
|
Muslims
do not have a single leader with pan-India appeal: Rahul
Blaming once again the Muslim community for what seems
to be the failure of the successive Congress governments at the
centre and states, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said
after
»
|
|
Omar disagrees with army over Kashmir
situation perception
Jammu and
Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday reacted sharply to a
statement by a senior Indian Army officer that the situation in
the state is "alarming". Speaking to reporters on the
sidelines of the voting in the presidential poll, Abdullah said:
"The situation » |
|
|
|
News Pick |
|
 Halal India launches online restaurant guide
India, with a population of over 170 million
Muslims, gets its first online restaurant guide. In an event
encouraged with the presence of Chennai
» |
|
BRICS nations working to facilitate intra-grouping trade
BRICS countries are currently moving
ahead in areas in which the five member-countries can easily
cooperate such as trade facilitation, said an Indian government
official. "We are leaving out contentious issues at the
»
|
|
Pakistani boy of 8 clears Microsoft specialist exams
An
eight-year-old Pakistani boy has cleared exams undertaken for
becoming a Microsoft Certified Technology specialist.
Shafay Thobani mastered complex internet protocol and domain name
systems to become » |
|
Police foil students' bid to march towards assembly
Police
Thursday foiled an attempt to take out a rally to the state
assembly by pro-Telangana students of Osmania University who were
demanding that legislators from Telangana not vote for United
Progressive Alliance
» |
|
|
|
Picture of the Day |
|
 |
|
Mohd. Hamid Ansari filing the nomination papers for the Vice
Presidential Election, in the presence of the Prime Minister,
Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Chairperson, National Advisory
Council, Mrs.Sonia Gandhi and other dignitaries, at
Parliament, in New Delhi on July 18, 2012. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
Quick links