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PM mellows down, supports Art 355
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday declared in the Rajya Sabha that government would fully implement the letter and spirit of the House motion on Gujarat seeking more effective action under Article 355 of the Constitution. RS passes censure motion on Gujarat
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday declared in the Rajya Sabha that government would fully implement the letter and spirit of the House motion on Gujarat seeking more effective action under Article 355 of the Constitution.
“There need be no doubt about it,” Vajpayee told the House seeking to set at rest controversy over his Gwalior statement on the issue.
Intervening in the debate on the Opposition-sponsored censure motion, the Prime Minister said that the government would support it and ensure that it is passed unanimously. Vajpayee said that a controversy has been sought to be raised about his Gwalior statement to reporters.
“I was asked whether notice was being given to the Gujarat government under Article 355 as promised by the government during the discussion.
“I said the debate is on in Parliament and in effect it is a notice to the Gujarat authorities,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that if the state government was acting as per wishes of the Centre, then there was no need for a formal notice under Article 355 of the Constitution.
Making a scathing attack on the Opposition for alleging that democracy was in danger and that fascism was raising its head, Vajpayee asserted that democracy in the country was not so weak that anyone could tamper with it. Citing the emergency, he said that the country has seen that democracy had defeated those who sought to weaken it.
He wanted to know as to what sort of danger democracy was facing in the country and where law was being violated.
Categorically denying that he had criticised Islam and attacked Muslims in his recent speech at Goa, the Prime Minister said that equal respect for all religions has been the credo of India since time immemorial and it was not a post-independence phenomenon.
“I can`t even think of casting aspersions on any religion,” he said.
Vajpayee said that the media only highlighted his remark that the Gujarat chief minister should follow ‘Rajdharma’ (ethics of governance) but did not pay much attention to Narendra Modi`s response that he was doing the same.
Taking a dig at the opposition, he sought to know whether there was no other way to follow ‘Rajdharma’ other than seeking the resignation of Modi. Bureau Report
The Prime Minister said that if the state government was acting as per wishes of the Centre, then there was no need for a formal notice under Article 355 of the Constitution.
Making a scathing attack on the Opposition for alleging that democracy was in danger and that fascism was raising its head, Vajpayee asserted that democracy in the country was not so weak that anyone could tamper with it. Citing the emergency, he said that the country has seen that democracy had defeated those who sought to weaken it.
He wanted to know as to what sort of danger democracy was facing in the country and where law was being violated.
Categorically denying that he had criticised Islam and attacked Muslims in his recent speech at Goa, the Prime Minister said that equal respect for all religions has been the credo of India since time immemorial and it was not a post-independence phenomenon.
“I can`t even think of casting aspersions on any religion,” he said.
Vajpayee said that the media only highlighted his remark that the Gujarat chief minister should follow ‘Rajdharma’ (ethics of governance) but did not pay much attention to Narendra Modi`s response that he was doing the same.
Taking a dig at the opposition, he sought to know whether there was no other way to follow ‘Rajdharma’ other than seeking the resignation of Modi. Bureau Report