Uproar over Chidambaram's red rag to Opposition

The FM digressed from the text of his budget speech to praise Sonia's leadership in the May LS polls.

It was intended as a red rag and it evoked the expected response from the opposition in parliament Thursday.

HT Image

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram could not have been unaware that he was
rubbing a sore point of the opposition when he digressed from the text of
his budget speech in the Lok Sabha on Thursday to praise Congress president
Sonia Gandhi's leadership in the May parliamentary election.

His remark that the message of the last elections was an unambiguous one for
change and "above all it was a vote for Sonia Gandhi" had almost the entire
Opposition on its feet, vociferously protesting his contention.

His remarks appeared to take Gandhi, seated in the front row of the
government benches, by surprise.

An amused Gandhi, attired in a blue cotton sari and a green blouse, sought
to pacify her party members who were on their feet in her defence.

Opening his speech, Chidambaram said the people's vote against one coalition
and in favour of another was a "vote for change".

Chidambaram also quoted from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's address to the
nation last month in which he said the people had sought "a change in the
manner in which this country is run, a change in national priorities, and a
change in the process and focus of governance".

He then said that the electoral verdict was essentially a vote for Sonia
Gandhi - and triggered a furore.

Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs
were on their feet, objecting to Chidambaram's remarks and demanding it be
expunged, but an angry Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee asked them to
raise the issue during the debate on the budget and not interrupt the
finance minister during his speech.

When the opposition MPs persisted with their demand, Chatterjee rose from
his chair and appealed to the MPs to resume their seats and maintain the
dignity of the house.

"This is a solemn occasion and the entire country is watching us. I shall
disallow any statement only if it is unparliamentary."