The BJP continued to fish in troubled UPA waters more than 24 hours after Rahul Gandhi did an ‘angry young man’ act on the UPA Government’s Ordinance on convicted lawmakers. The Opposition party said on Saturday it was giving a call to the conscience of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately tender his resignation on his return from the United States, as any person with a shred of self respect would do.
The BJP picked up an anecdote from the past when then foreign secretary AP Venkateswaran had resigned — with fours years of service left — after Rahul’s father and then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi shamed him in a Press conference at Vigyan Bhawan on January 20, 1987.
“A Pakistani journalist had asked Rajiv about a difference of opinion between the Indian Prime Minister and Venkateswaran; he replied ‘you will soon be talking to a new foreign secretary’. The foreign secretary resigned in the next one hour. If the conscience of a self respecting bureaucrat could wake up, let us see if the same happens to the PM of a great country like ours,” BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad told reporters here.
Prasad attempted to give a healing touch to the Prime Minister’s wounds in claiming that even the bitterest critic of Manmohan Singh, like the BJP, has not used such words for his action.
In the same vein, Prasad added, "We never crossed the limit of civility in criticising you. But here we have a leader from your own party who describes the decision of your Cabinet as nonsense. We have sought your resignation so many times in the past. This time we are trying to shake up your conscience. You must consider quitting the post."
The BJP leader claimed that the September 20 meeting of the Congress Core Group, of which party president Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson, had cleared the Ordinance. "So does Rahul's Friday act indicate at a difference of opinion between the president and the vice-president of the Congress," he asked.
The BJP also sought to know from UPA allies their views on Rahul's remark. "The Bill and the Ordinance were cleared by the Cabinet. Ministers belonging to other parties are also part of the Cabinet. They should clear their stand on this," Prasad said.
leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley slammed the UPA Government saying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been relegated to a 'footnote' in country's politics by his own party man.
In Bangalore, former BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu also suggested the Prime Minister to quit without any delay "if he has any self respect left". He told reporters, "The statement made by the Congress vice-president makes the Prime Minister's position untenable."
Suggesting that the Congress and the UPA Government were moving in different directions, Naidu said, "The party has not only disowned the Government's action on the issue of Ordinance on convicted politicians but also condemned in strongest words and delivered a direct snub to the PM that too when he is abroad on an international mission."
The former Union Minister claimed the 'belated and blistering attack' on the Ordinance was a well orchestrated political stunt by the Congress to salvage the image of the party.
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu joined the BJP in demanding resignation of the Prime Minister. "@PMOIndia insulted repeatedly to elevate Rahul Gandhi. "Nonsense" is the new moniker for Govt. PM should resign if he disagrees with this!" he tweeted.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brian said, "The Prime Minister is in DC (Washington DC) and in Delhi the Congress is indulging in DC that is damage control. The entire country is laughing on them."
Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal also criticised the Congress saying it has affected the Government's image. "The entire Congress party supported the Ordinance when it was debated in the Rajya Sabha. I don't understand why did the Congress not raise an objection thenIJ This in a way is a no-confidence for the Government."