Miriti: Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee on Tuesday said the differences between him and Home
Minister P Chidambaram were a "closed chapter" and asserted
that the government "is in command of things".
"Myself and Mr Chidambaram addressed the media and the
chapter is closed and he (Chidambaram) admitted it. So there
is no question.....," he told a TV channel at his ancestral home
where he is currently staying for performing Durga Puja.
Mukherjee admitted that in a multi-party political
system in the party there can be "differences sometimes".
He was asked whether the "public making up" between him
and Chidambaram signalled the end of the rift.
To a question about the impression that there were
"serious cracks" in the government and it was a "house
divided" that would collapse any time, the minister said
"if you go by the classical theory of the opposition, the role
of the opposition is oppose, expose and depose, if possible.
Mukherjee said "They should not read too much into
the so-called differences. They should concentrate on
themselves because after all it (opposition) is also not very
united house. If you look at their past record so much
literature has come.
"I need not mention to you the book of Strobe Talbot
or what happened in Kandahar between two senior ministers. I
am not mentioning names deliberately. Therefore, these
things are clear. In multi-party political system there may
be differences sometimes."
He said this much he can say that the government "is in
command of things".
"There is a strong leadership in the government
provided by Dr Manmohan Singh, strong leadership in the party
provided by Mrs Sonia Gandhi. There is perfect coordination
and harmonisation between the party and the government," he
asserted.
The minister expressed the hope that with this message
of unity in the government the image of differences would go
away.
PTI
