Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister's Statement in Rajya Sabha

Mr. Chairman, Sir, the hon. Leader of the TDP made certain observations at the beginning of the Question Hour. I thought that I would set the record straight. Sir, the way the proceedings of the Parliament have been disrupted, in the last two weeks, has caused me and my Government great dismay. There is no resolution of the impasse. It is not for want of trying on the part of the Government or myself. As soon as the NDA announced that they were going to boycott the session, I rang up the Leader of the Opposition, Shri L.K. Advani; I rang up the Leader of Opposition in this House, Shri Jaswant Singh; and I rang up the Leader of NDA, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I requested them, "Let us end this chapter; and all issues can be discussed on the floor of the House". I was promised - I won't name the person who promised me - by one of these three people that on Monday, they would come for the Finance Bill and thereafter they would decide what they would do. Therefore, Sir, the allegation that the House is not able to function because of anything that the Government has done, is in my humble submission, not borne out by facts. I would also like to point out the type of language that the NDA and its responsible Members have used against me in the Memorandum that they have submitted to the President in which absolutely false things have been said. For example, in that Memorandum, our Government has been accused of prevailing upon President Musharraf not to see Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

This is totally false. Now, this is the length to which the Opposition goes. I think the country should know that between the two, what they say and what they do, there is a world of difference. I once again appeal to all the Leaders of Opposition to be serious and cooperate with us in conducting the business of the House. This Government is prepared to discuss all the issues and there is no issue which, I think, is barred from discussion in the House.