New Delhi, With alliance partner JD (U) reacting to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj's comment that BJP would not support any Congress candidate for the President's post, BJP on Tuesday confirmed that Swaraj's remarks reflected the party line and also clarified that it was not the NDA view. "There is no difference between what Sharad Yadav (JD-U chief) said and what she (Sushma Swaraj) said... it is true that Sushma Swaraj stated the BJP's view and not that of the NDA," party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters in a damage control exercise to avoid a rift within NDA. Rudy said a discussion with NDA allies as well as the "larger opposition" is yet to take place. Swaraj had only said that BJP would accept a candidate for President which is chosen by the opposition. "Here she was talking about the larger opposition, including NDA," he pointed out. BJP, however, reiterated that it would not go in for any understanding with Congress on the Presidential polls. Swaraj had on Monday said that BJP would not go in for any deal with Congress in the Presidential race, by agreeing to the Congress's candidate for the Rashtrapati Bhawan in exchange for a vice ...
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New Delhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, who was one of the dignitaries present at the Indian Prime Minister luncheon meeting hosted in honour of the visiting Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, has tweeted that Dr. Manmohan Singh asked Zardari to pray for peace between the two nations at the holy shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. "Attended lunch hosted by the Prime Minister for President Zardari and his team. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mr Rehman Malik and Mr Bilawal Bhutto were also present," tweeted Swaraj. "Towards the end of lunch, Prime Minister told President Zardari that since he was going to Ajmer sharief, he should pray before Khwaja sahib for peace in both our countries. President Zardari promised to do that," she adds in her tweet. Zardari met Dr. Singh during his three-hour stopover in Delhi before flying to Ajmer to pay obeisance at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Senior UPA Ministers, including Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony, S M Krishna and P Chidambaram, along with Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi were present during the luncheon meeting. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani was also ...
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Kanpur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj has called election campaign of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi ' theatrics', which would not translate into votes. "Tearing up a list while standing on stage might make a good front-page photograph, but it cannot translate into votes. In order to get votes, one has to connect with the people and raise their issues," Swaraj told a gathering here on Saturday. Gandhi, while addressing a public gathering in Lucknow on Wednesday, tore a piece of paper carrying a list of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party's poll promises, drawing huge cheers from his listeners. Swaraj also criticised the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for not having done justice to a widespread mandate that had given it an absolute majority in the 2007 state poll. "The BSP had an absolute majority government, but when I hold them to account after five years, then the performance register shows a zero. Their campaign slogan did not translate into ideology or practice. In this term, they pushed aside even their main voters, and the slogan 'For the Good of All' got changed to 'For Individual Good'," Swaraj said. The Uttar Pradesh polls ...
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New Delhi, Asserting that Lokpal Bill has a lot of flaws, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said it seems that the government has introduced the Bill in anger. She said that Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy initiated the Lokpal debate in a combative mode. “Narayanasamy has placed three Bills for debate. It appears the government is placing this Bill in a fit of rage. Ministers normally introduce Bills very calmly and ask for support .But the Minister seems ready for battle”, she said. "Sad to say that the Bill is inadequate. The Bill has lot of flaws, lot of inconsistencies. We expected government to bring a bill that will remove corruption. The Bill has ruined our expectations. It violates the Constitution," she added. She further said: "The Bill can''t go against the basic structures of the Constitution.” “This Bill is talking of Lokpal and Lokayukta both. State employees will be looked after by the Lokyukta. The Bill can''t force states to follow the diktat of the Centre," she added. Emphasising that the Bill is meant to provide an enabling framework, Swaraj said government now says we make it mandatory because ...
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New Delhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday reiterated that he would reveal the next steps on the foreign direct investment (FDI) issue only on the floor the Lok Sabha when Parliament resumes its winter session on December 7 (Wednesday). News reports said that Mukherjee has spoken with Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj to seek the opposition’s cooperation to end the logjam in parliament and allow the Houses to transact business. A television channel quoted sources, as saying that Mukherjee has assured Swaraj that the government will put the FDI issue on hold until a consensus is arrived at. Mukherjee also met senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and Left leader Sitaram Yechury. The opposition has demanded a clarification from the government or a formal statement on the floor of the House on this issue. Its second demand is that there should be a complete rollback of the FDI in retail and not just putting it on hold for the moment. The opposition also wants Mukherjee to call for an all-party meeting and make the government''s stand on the issue clear. Yechury told Mukherjee that all political parties should be informed first about the decision before it ...
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