New Delhi, March 17: A united opposition today demanded resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in connection with allegations of bribing members to win the 2008 trust vote forcing adjournment of both Houses of Parliament.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta raised the issue of alleged bribing of members by the government to win the trust vote on the India-US nuclear deal and cited news reports quoting leaked diplomatic cables.
“Never in the history of Indian democracy has such a news appeared in newspapers… Money was paid to members …This is murder of democracy,” Dasgupta said.
“If the Prime Minister does not deny this he should resign immediately,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said the newspaper expose has shamed Indian democracy.
Certain matters that took place right under the nose of a “so-called honest Prime Minister” have come to light, she said.
Swaraj said three BJP members had brought cash to the House in 2008 but the then Speaker had ordered an inquiry against them instead of taking cognisance of the matter.
“An official of the American Embassy was shown a chest full of cash. Is this a display of the bullying tactics of the government or its shamelessness,” Swaraj said amid shouts from Congress members.
“This government has lost the moral authority to continue in office and the Prime Minister should resign immediately,” she said.
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav asked the Speaker to allow a discussion on the matter saying his party had also played a key role in saving the UPA-I government.
“We had also worked to save the government in 2008. If all are painted by the same brush, we also stand to lose face. Only a discussion on this matter can clear our name,” Yadav said.
At this point, members from both the opposition and ruling benches were on their feet raising slogans and prom
As soon as Rajya Sabha met, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley raised the issue saying, “it is conclusively clear that this government survived on political and moral sin.”
“A government which survived on the such a political sin has no authority to even to continue for one minute. We demand this government must resign immediately,” he said, amid shouts of ‘shame, shame’ from BJP benches.
Frequently interrupted by Congress members, Jaitley said the expose reflected the “extraordinary depressing situation how our democracy has been reduced…. The leak completely establishes the worst that we had feared at that time (2008).”
Quoting from The Hindu, which published the cables sent by US Embassy officials to Washington on the 2008 trust vote, he said that an important political functionary had shown war chests to be used for winning the vote of confidence after the Left had withdrawn its support to the UPA-I on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
“Are the facts so embarrassing that the ruling party is disturbing the House?” Jaitley asked when Congress members were on their feet to counter the opposition.
Leaders of all major parties including CPI-M, CPI, JD(U) and BJD joined Jaitley in demanding the resignation of the government forthwith. They also demanded Prime Minister to come and explain.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who wanted to respond, was not allowed by BJP members and Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan said “this is not fair” on the part of BJP members, who trooped into the well and started shouting slogans.
–PTI