Press
Briefing Monday, 22nd February 2010
Shri
Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that today is the first day
of Parliament in this year and of the Parliament’s
longest session and the first day is the President’s
address which is the statement by the Government of the
day of its various programmes, policies and intention
and the Government of the day is a Congress Party led
UPA Government and is, therefore, very much a
declaration of the Congress Party and the UPA’s
programmes, policies and intentions. It is a declaration
for the year and for the full 5 years of elected
governance. It is a declaration which is intended and
especially at the beginning of the first year of a new
Government in a sense last year, the budget session was
before the election. It is in that sense setting of the
tone, the tenor, the direction. the content and the
momentum and the pace for the year and for the term and
for both Executive work and legislative programmes. It
shows our firm unequivocal resolve to deal with each
burning issue of the day candidly, transparently and
openly. They include diverse issues. They include price
rise, food inflation, as you may call, terror and
security, inclusive governance but the basic object is
to discuss and to invite criticism and discussion of
those issues which will propel India on a path to
irreversible growth and progress to meet our goals for
2020 and for 2050.
Shri Singhvi said that I would like to submit on behalf
of the Congress party that we are proud that our
programme is unique. It is comprehensive and inclusive.
You have before you the President’s address and its
range is wide and all inclusive. We will deal with
terror with the firmest of resolve and determination.
That applies to external terror as well as international
fermented terror or violence or other serious
disturbance. Our resolve to beat the so-called economic
crisis has already shown unprecedented results in
comparison to other countries of the world. Our resolve
to meet our commitments and promises is reflected in the
Armed Forces Bill and the Tribunal and when you have all
the statistics for NREGA, Electricity and Bharat Nirman,
Housing and so on and so forth. The real point is that
these are the programmes which are available for you to
test us on, to examine us on and to question us on.
These are not mere pious declarations but concrete
specific statements with facts and figurers. It is the
obligation of each Member of Parliament irrespective of
political color and shade to strive to fulfill this
agenda because ultimately this agenda is not political
but for the people of India and it is our obligation and
bounded duty to convert it into reality. If we fail, we
not only fail ourselves, as India’s Apex Parliament but
we fail the people of India.
On the question of price rise as contained in Para 7 of
the President’s address, Shri Singhvi said that the
Government, through the President’s address in Para 7 &
8 and Para 8 is the longer more detailed paragraph has
laid down a complete set of resolves, determination,
action and concrete measures. It is true and that is
what is stated in Para 7 that when you have inclusive
governance, you need to have Public Expenditure
programmes of a massive and an unusual kind. It is also
true that when you have massive Public Expenditure
programme, you are bound to infuse monetary liquidity in
the system. A certain amount of monetary liquidity leads
to inflation but that is not the whole story. That is
the beginning of the story and we are not deterred by
the fact that in economics, we are not deterred that we
will not do such inclusive programmes. The challenge is
how to achieve these inclusive programmes and also how
to maintain the deficit also to completely contain the
food inflation and after that statement you find a
substance in Para 8.
On a further question that there was no mention of
Naxalism in the President’s address, Shri Singhvi said
that you are not correct. There is a general address on
all forms of violence, terrorism, domestic and external;
in particular, apart from mentioning Pune, there was a
mention that Left Wing extremism continues to indulge in
senseless violence as in their recent attacks in West
Bengal where a large number of innocent lives have been
lost. These cowardly acts strengthen our resolve to
challenge posed by such violence. Our Government has
also given a call to Left Wing extremists to abjure
violence and come for talks.
On a further related question over the statement of
Mamata Banerjee, Shri Singhvi said that it is a totally
different question. You do not need to fish in troubled
waters because the Government’s decision is the decision
announced by the Government of the day. Individual
Ministers are entitled to their view and each view may
be entitled to weight and respect but ultimately it
becomes only a point of discussion. What emerges from
the Cabinet as the final declaration is the policy of
this Government. It is not the view, comment or opinion
of any Minister. There could be different perceptions on
this violence and indeed in a healthy democracy there
ought to be and there are. Nobody is suggesting that
clone like everybody is having the same view. We are
very strongly telling you that the view of the
Government is what comes out and that position remains
unaltered as far as policy, implementation and policy
declaration is concerned. You have a certain policy of
dealing with naxal violence. It is the policy announced
not only by the Home Ministers but others also. If
anybody has a different view, it does not make any
difference to that policy. In particular policy remains
the same. We are going to be extremely firm, strong and
determined but equally we are told that if you stop it
as quickly as 72 hours, we are here to talk with you.
That is the straight forward candid, unambiguous
statement which holds the field and there is no reason
for you to harper on individual statements.
On another question of climate change, Shri Singhvi said
that you should be aware that there is not an occasion
for the Congress party to respond. That could be an
individual view for a person concerned. We do not agree
that there is any change in the basic Government policy.
It stands declared. It has been declared even after
Copenhagen on the floor of the Parliament and I prefer
to believe and stand only by that and not by what I read
in the press.
On the question that there is no mention of Telengana in
the President’s address, Shri Singhvi said that on the
contrary it is being shown in the priority list and it
has gone on a path of commission.
On the question of the statement of BJP that they will
not allow discussion on any other issue unless price
rise is discussed, Shri Singhvi said that whether and in
what sequence there will be a discussion is something
for the Government to announce and you will have that
decision either through the Parliamentary Affairs
Minister or the Government. We are fully ready for
discussion on anything under the sun within the rules of
the House. Is it not a sterile or a futile controversy
to insist that before a discussion on the President’s
address which is traditionally and conventionally an
established rule of the House, you should have an item
out of sequence. It does not really matter because
neither Parliament nor the MPs are going to run away. So
whether it is one day before or one day later, let it
not be an excuse for obstruction or delay for the
walkouts, for disruptions for boycotts.
Tom Vadakkan
Secretary, AICC
