Press
Briefing Tuesday, 27th April 2010
Smt.
Jayanthi Natarajan addressed the media today.
Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that today 13 Opposition
parties having declared, what they call a Bharat Bandh,
have created difficulty for the very people whose cause
they claim to represent. The Bandh which is a complete
failure in most parts of the country except in the
places where it was sponsored by the State Governments
was called to protest rise in fuel prices and also the
rise in the prices of fertilizer. Parliament was stalled
today on this count. Important issues could not be
discussed. Parliament was stalled yesterday also for a
different reason and last week for yet another reason.
Important issues relating to the people are not being
discussed in Parliament and Parliament is not being
allowed to run by these Opposition parties. The cause
they claim to represent is itself spurious and based
upon incorrect assumptions. The cause itself, we made
amply clear that the rise in prices is something that
needs to be fought on all fronts both by the fiscal and
economic policies of the Central Government as well as
concerted action on the part of the State particularly
in terms of strengthening of the Public Distribution
System. As far as the Central Government is concerned,
the issue price of rice and wheat under ‘Antodaya’ for
the public distribution system has remained unchanged
for several years. Only the off-takes by the States of
rice for distribution in public distribution system and
for the general public have been under-utilized by
various States. Therefore, tightening of the public
distribution system, action against hoarders under the
Essential Commodities Act, all these actions have not
yet properly been implemented by various States. In this
context to indulge in violence to create disruption of
public life in some places, to cause difficulty to
ordinary citizens, to stall Parliament from functioning,
are all violation of the concern for the very people
whose cause these parties claim to represent and only
exposes their complete bankruptcy of ideology, their
lack of issues and their inability to function as a
constructive Opposition. We, therefore, condemn these
stalling tactics, sporadic violence has occurred at some
places and the difficulty that has been caused to
ordinary people by actions of these opposition parties
today and we would like to call upon all opposition
parties to allow Parliament to function and allow
people’s issues to be discussed on the floor of the
House.
On the question of reaction of the Congress Party over
BJP accusing the Prime Minister of breach of privilege
yesterday, Smt. Natarajan said that there is no breach
of privilege because possibly somebody might have raised
a question and it is the opposition only who raise these
sort of questions. We will face it.
On a further related question, Smt. Natarajan further
said that there is absolutely no lack of respect for
Parliament. I am not aware of the circumstances under
which the Hon’ble Prime Minister replied but the entire
allegation has been in the public, in the media, in the
public domain, not just the floor of the House and
therefore, we strongly believe and assert that there is
absolutely no breach of privilege by the Hon’ble Prime
Minister. On the other hand, there is a complete lack of
any productive issue being raised by the opposition and
this is merely an exercise to divert public attention
from the fact that they are going to miserably lose in
their attempt to move cut-motion in the Lok Sabha today.
Smt. Natarajan further said that my entire suo-moto
dealt with the fact that the price rise is a non-issue
as raised by the opposition. We believe that price rise
is very important issue but the Government has taken all
steps to counter the price rise and the reason that the
opposition parties without acknowledging their own
responsibility are causing great inconvenience to the
public, is the reason why I challenge their actions
today. Smt. Natarajan said that Government has been
extremely successful in its economic policies and they
have taken correct fiscal measures. They have succeeded
to a large extent in controlling the prices. Yet a great
deal has to be done. The difference between the Whole
Sale Price Index and the retail price index is the
reason why the Central Government has repeatedly urged
the State Governments to take action against hoarders,
black-marketers who indulge in profiteering and this is
the reason why I called for total cooperation from the
State Governments as well.
On the question of the BSP supporting the Congress Party
despite BSP which was considered enemy number one of the
Congress in the past or is it because of the fact that
Mayawati has been assured help in the cases pending
before CBI, Smt. Natarajan said that my party might have
said it at one point of time. She further said that CBI
is an autonomous body and the Indian National Congress
never misuses CBI. Regarding our political strategy, we
will comment upon when the correct time comes and today
is not the correct time. Whenever we need to comment
upon the action of the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, we will
comment at the right time. Whatever steps needed to be
taken, we were absolutely confident that we will survive
even before the announcement this morning. We were very
confident that the Government will survive the
cut-motion and we will defeat the cut-motion and ensure
that all finance business is properly passed. We were
confident of support.
On the statement of Shri Mulayam Singh, Smt. Natarajan
further said that we are talking about political
democracy. If a political party feels that in order to
keep the communal forces at bay, it is important that
UPA Government should be supported. Well then, that
support is available for the Government. We were always
confident that we would be able to defeat the
cut-motion. Smt. Natarajan further said that no
political party can be used or thrown out. Every
political party comes together on the basis of some
issues or some political requirement of the time. I
would only assert that the Congress Party always comes
together with the people on the basis of issues and not
on the basis of either political expediency or on the
basis of exigencies.
Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC
