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Oppn attacks Govt on poll synchronisation
New Delhi, Aug 05: Opposition parties today decided to take on the government for avoiding consultations on the issue of holding simultaneous polls to parliament and state Assemblies. The parties accused the Vajpayee government of trying to `divert` people`s minds from real issues through such `floaters`.
New Delhi, Aug 05: Opposition parties today decided to take on the government for avoiding consultations on the issue of holding simultaneous polls to parliament and state
Assemblies. The parties accused the Vajpayee government of trying to "divert" people's minds from real issues through such "floaters".
Leaders of major opposition parties, including Congress,
Samajwadi Party, RJD and the Left, met here and questioned the recent statements by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on the matter, CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee told the reporters.
"The concept was suddenly floated by the Deputy Prime Minister. No one knows what is the proposition," he said and asked whether the centre could dissolve several state assemblies to synchronise with parliamentary polls.
"All such floaters are meant to divert the people's minds from the real issues of development," he alleged.
Chatterjee, however, said no one could dispute that such synchronisation was necessary and this was the practice till 1967. Such a practice could not be continued as President's rule was imposed in many states and parliament was dissolved on some occasions.
"But to accuse the opposition for not responding to Advani's proposals is unacceptable as there has been no official word on it so far. It is for the Prime Minister and the government to take a decision in consultation with the Opposition. Are they willing to dissolve state assemblies now to have simultaneous elections?" ,the veteran Marxist said.
On the Prime Minister's recent statements on the Ayodhya issue, Chatterjee said, "Vajpayee did not deny a single word as was reported in the media. In his parliament speech, he admitted having been carried away by emotions. Can the Prime Minister make such a statement which disturbs the entire nation?"
He criticised Vajpayee for "making clarifications in a party meeting" and not referring or reacting to the speeches "made in his presence" by RSS-VHP leaders in Ayodhya last week at the funeral of Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans Das.
"The concept was suddenly floated by the Deputy Prime Minister. No one knows what is the proposition," he said and asked whether the centre could dissolve several state assemblies to synchronise with parliamentary polls.
"All such floaters are meant to divert the people's minds from the real issues of development," he alleged.
Chatterjee, however, said no one could dispute that such synchronisation was necessary and this was the practice till 1967. Such a practice could not be continued as President's rule was imposed in many states and parliament was dissolved on some occasions.
"But to accuse the opposition for not responding to Advani's proposals is unacceptable as there has been no official word on it so far. It is for the Prime Minister and the government to take a decision in consultation with the Opposition. Are they willing to dissolve state assemblies now to have simultaneous elections?" ,the veteran Marxist said.
On the Prime Minister's recent statements on the Ayodhya issue, Chatterjee said, "Vajpayee did not deny a single word as was reported in the media. In his parliament speech, he admitted having been carried away by emotions. Can the Prime Minister make such a statement which disturbs the entire nation?"
He criticised Vajpayee for "making clarifications in a party meeting" and not referring or reacting to the speeches "made in his presence" by RSS-VHP leaders in Ayodhya last week at the funeral of Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans Das.
At the meeting, opposition parties also castigated the
Government for "misusing" CBI not only on the Best Bakery case and NHRC, but also the way the investigating agency was being "misused" in cases like murder of Gujarat BJP leader Haren Pandya, Tehelka probe and others, Chatterjee said.
Bureau Report