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NDA boycotts Rly Budget
However, the BJP-led alliance today decided to give up its strategy of stalling proceedings in Parliament.
Ending the stalemate in Parliament, the BJP-led NDA on Tuesday decided to give up its strategy of stalling proceedings but will boycott the presentation of Railway Budget by Laloo Prasad in protest against inclusion of "tainted" ministers in the UPA Government.
"Unlike the Congress, the Communists and the RJD, who frequently disrupted the proceedings of the House during the six-year long rule of the Vajpayee Government, the NDA believes in the smooth functioning of Parliament...The NDA will perform its duty conscientiously," a resolution, adopted at a specially convened meeting of all NDA MPs here, said.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha LK Advani said, "it was felt the proceedings should be allowed and important issues should be discussed.
"This form (stalling of proceedings) of protest will end on Tuesday. There will be different forms of protest from Wednesday, which will be suggested by a Sub-Committee formed on Tuesday."
Tuesday's decision ends the impasse witnessed in Parliament since the opening session of the 14th Lok Sabha when BJP-led NDA stalled proceedings during the entire brief session resulting in the motion of thanks to the President's Address being adopted without discussion. The opening day of the Budget Session on Monday was also washed out by the NDA protest.
Advani said the decision to give up stalling tactics has been taken after taking into account various factors including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal to him and senior leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee to end the stalemate.
However, the resolution said NDA will continue to highlight its demand for removal of "tainted" ministers, both within and outside Parliament, until it is met.
"Though we will boycott the presentation of the Railway Budget, we will participate in the discussion on the Railway Budget," Advani said.
The Sub-Committee to discuss NDA's future mode of protest comprises Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi, SS Ahluwalia besides BJP deputy leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively VK Malhotra and Sushma Swaraj.
The resolution said NDA will continue to articulate its demand in Parliament by focussing its protest "mainly" against one representative "tainted" minister, the Minister of Railways, in an "appropriate manner".
The meeting presided over by NDA chairman Vajpayee was attended among others by Advani, NDA convener George Fernandes, BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu, besides senior BJP leaders Jaswant Singh, Sushma Swaraj and VK Malhotra.
The meeting was attended by all constituent and supporting parties of the NDA, Fernandes said.
The resolution condemned as "arrogant and brazen manner" in which the Congress-led UPA Government rejected the NDA's demand for removal of "tainted" Ministers.
"What is specially reprehensible is the Prime Minister's callous rationalisation, bordering on justification, of his Government's untenable stand on the matter," it said.
"By saying that the NDA Government too had 'tainted' Ministers, Singh is attempting to gloss over the basic difference between allegations and charges due to involvement in heinous crimes, including corruption.
