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NDA united, Opposition divided: Mamata
New Delhi, Aug 18: Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was solidly behind Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, while the opposition has been divided and unable to project any one as its leader who can lead the government at the Centre.
New Delhi, Aug 18: Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was solidly behind Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, while the opposition has been divided and unable to project any one as its leader who can lead the government at the Centre.
Strongly opposing the congress-sponsored no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, Mamata pointed out that the NDA, formed before the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, had provided a stable government for the past four years, but the opposition was talking of going for a post-poll alliance after next year's parliamentary elections.
The Opposition did not accept Congress president Sonia Gandhi as its leader, she said and added that the days of one-party rule were over and coalition had become the order of the day.
''We have full faith and confidence in Mr Vajpayee because he has successfully run the coalition government which is the need of the country,'' she said.
She made it clear that her party would not have any truck with the Congress because of the bitter experience with the West Bengal Congress unit in the past. The Congress was also hand in glove with the ruling CPI(M) in that state which was unacceptable to her party.
Mamata said the ''timing and message'' of the no-confidence motion was ''wrong'' as the Congress had decided on the move on August 14 when the country was honouring its martyrs.
It sent out a wrong message to the nation's enemies and encouraged the militants, particularly those in Jammu and Kashmir.
There was no valid reason for the motion as the government had done well despite facing adverse situations such as the Kargil war, Gujarat earthquake and Orissa cyclone. She cited the Rs 54,000-crore national highway construction programme and the telecom revolution as the major achievements of the Centre.
During her 45-minute-long speech, she said that the CPI(M) had double standards -- one for West Bengal and the other for the Centre.
While the CPI(M) was accusing the Centre of depriving the workers of their fundamental right to strike work, the West Bengal government had passed a law providing for three-year jail term for blocking roads which at times could be the spontaneous reaction of the people following some serious accident, she pointed out.
While the Left Party was furious over the defence ministry's refusal to make available documents on defence purchases to the Public Accounts Committee, its own government in West Bengal had the same attitude towards the state-level PAC, she said.
Bureau Report
The Opposition did not accept Congress president Sonia Gandhi as its leader, she said and added that the days of one-party rule were over and coalition had become the order of the day.
''We have full faith and confidence in Mr Vajpayee because he has successfully run the coalition government which is the need of the country,'' she said.
She made it clear that her party would not have any truck with the Congress because of the bitter experience with the West Bengal Congress unit in the past. The Congress was also hand in glove with the ruling CPI(M) in that state which was unacceptable to her party.
Mamata said the ''timing and message'' of the no-confidence motion was ''wrong'' as the Congress had decided on the move on August 14 when the country was honouring its martyrs.
It sent out a wrong message to the nation's enemies and encouraged the militants, particularly those in Jammu and Kashmir.
There was no valid reason for the motion as the government had done well despite facing adverse situations such as the Kargil war, Gujarat earthquake and Orissa cyclone. She cited the Rs 54,000-crore national highway construction programme and the telecom revolution as the major achievements of the Centre.
During her 45-minute-long speech, she said that the CPI(M) had double standards -- one for West Bengal and the other for the Centre.
While the CPI(M) was accusing the Centre of depriving the workers of their fundamental right to strike work, the West Bengal government had passed a law providing for three-year jail term for blocking roads which at times could be the spontaneous reaction of the people following some serious accident, she pointed out.
While the Left Party was furious over the defence ministry's refusal to make available documents on defence purchases to the Public Accounts Committee, its own government in West Bengal had the same attitude towards the state-level PAC, she said.
Bureau Report