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Furore in Lok Sabha
Agencies
New Delhi, Aug 8
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today described as “disgraceful and unfortunate” the remark by BJP senior leader L K Advani that UPA-II was “illegitimate.” “The remark is disgraceful and uinfortunate,” the Prime Minister told reporters outside Parliament.
Earlier Mr Advani charged the UPA-II with being an “illegitimate government” in view of the dubious 2008 ‘vote of confidence’ it sought during UPA-I.
The chairman, BJP Parliamentary Party, made the remark while moving an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the incidents of ethnic violence in Assam.
The Treasury bench members were up in arms against the remark. Mr Advani, however, at the insistence of the Speaker, later withdrew his remarks.
“By mistake I mentioned about UPA-II. In fact, what I meant was the way the 2008 vote of confidence was sought by the UPA-I, which was reprehensible and dubious,’ Mr Advani added.
Thre remark was expunged by Speaker Meira Kumar.
“While the Congress party people said that Mr Advani had conceded defeat even before the polls, I must remind the party how low it had stooped to win elections during its second stint – in UPA II,” he said, while adding that ‘the UPA was an illegitimate government”.
After Congress members were on their feet on the comment, and pandemonium spread all over with BJP members joining the slanging atch of barbed volleys, Speaker Meira Kumar intervened to say that objectionable remarks by Mr Advani would be expunged.
But when the commotion emanting from the treasury bench refused to die, the Speaker asked Mr Advani to withdraw his remarks which he did, saying, “I withdraw, but I clarify that my comments were made with reference to 2008 vote of confidence, and not the UPA -II government which was mentioned erroneously by me”.
Even after this, despite the Speaker’s insistance that Mr Advani had taken back his remarks, the Congress kept insisting that Mr Advani make an apology on the issue, with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi leading the call.
An animated Ms Gandhi bucked up Congress members with her repeated gestures to keep up the pressure for an apology from Mr Advani, leaving the Speaker a mere hapless spectator, who repeatedly urged members to maintain silence and let proceedings continue.
However, with the Congress continuing with the sloganeering of “Mafi maango, mafi maango” (offer an apology), the Speaker announced that the House would now meet at 1400 hrs after lunch.
The Lok Sabha today witnessed uproar and chaos after Chairman of BJP parliamentary party L K Advani charged the UPA-II with being an “illegitimate government” in view of the dubious 2008 ‘vote of confidence’ it sought during UPA-I.
The treasury bench was up in arms following this
remark, which Mr Advani on the insistence of the
Speaker later withdrew, and said the BJP leader’s
comment was “extraneous and denigrating to the people”.
Taken aback by the unexpected volley of opposition
to his remark, Mr Advani clarified that, “By mistake
I mentioned about UPA-II. In fact, what I meant was
the way the 2008 vote of confidence was sought by
the UPA-I, which was reprehensible and dubious”.
Mr Advani’s reference came during his speech on
an adjournment motion moved by him during Zero Hour,
where he mentioned about his recent blog on the likely
outcome of 2014 general elections.
