New Delhi:
Amid uproar in parliament, the Congress-led government got some
respite Thursday afternoon after the warring Trinamool Congress
declared there was no threat to the ruling coalition.
"I categorically want to say that the government of UPA II is
properly settled and it will complete its term," Trinamool's
parliamentary group leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said, bringing some
relief to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He added in the Lok Sabha that the Trinamool had not asked party
colleague and Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi to resign for
presenting a budget that sought to increase rail fares for the
first time in a decade.
Although the government was still in crisis mode, it got more
breathing space after another critical ally, the DMK, also said
that it too remained with the Manmohan Singh government.
"We are part of UPA II and will remain with UPA II," DMK MP T.R.
Baalu said.
The Congress put up a brave face after coming under attack in
parliament over the latest political storm, saying differences
within a coalition were but natural.
"These things have happened in the past too," Information and
Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters. "Each (coalition
partner) has different political compulsions.
"It is unfortunate but the leadership is looking at it," she
added.
The fire fighting started after an explosive start to the fourth
day of parliament's budget session, with an aggressive opposition
determined to embarrass the government over the Trinamool's
strident demand that the proposed rail fares be rolled back.
Dinesh Trivedi, who was earlier thought to have resigned, did not
speak in the Lok Sabha Thursday. But he smiled when Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the house that he (Trivedi) had not
resigned.
Mukherjee admitted that a letter had been received from Trinmaool
Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
demanding the axing of the rail fare hike.
After an unrelenting opposition forced an adjournment of the house
during question hour, Mukherjee chided the government's critics
for behaving like "petulant children".
But speculation persisted that Banerjee wanted Trivedi to be
replaced by another Trinamool stalwart and Minister of State for
Shipping Mukul Roy.
Manmohan Singh too sounded placatory.
"Well, if anything like this develops, we will consider it," he
said when asked if Trivedi will go.
Mukherjee also told Lok Sabha that the railway budget was now the
property of the house, which would vote on the proposals made by
the minister Wednesday.
He also took responsibility for preparation of the railway budget,
saying only the finance minister's approval was needed and not
that of either the prime minister or the cabinet.
Later, speaking outside the house, the mild-mannered Trivedi
reiterated that he had not been asked to resign by the prime
minister or Banerjee but he would go if he was asked to.
He, however, gently contradicted Banerjee's claim that the party
was not aware of his move to raise rail fares.
"I had earlier given indication about it. But I will not divulge
any details as I am a loyal soldier of the party."
And in remarks bound to displease Banerjee, he said he was duty
bound to defend the budget.
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj asked some
pointed questions: "Is Dinesh Trivedi's rail budget dead or
alive?"
Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav insisted that Trivedi could
not have framed his budget without the prime minister's knowledge.
Ironically, support for Banerjee's demand came from her biggest
foe, the Left.
Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta said the budget
sought to impose financial burden on the common man and so was not
acceptable to his party.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) too came out with a
detailed point-by-point criticism of the budget.
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