As the UPA celebrated nine years in power over dinner — where SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was conspicuous by his absence — and released a report card boasting about its achievements, the Congress on Wednesday appeared more engaged in dispelling the established notion of rift between the Prime Minister and the party. The Congress also tried to showcase its full backing to Manmohan Singh in the wake of strong attack on him by the BJP.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi asserted that there was no difference between her and the PM, who himself retaliated to the BJP’s charges by saying “what else do you expect from a non result-oriented Opposition.”
“The Prime Minister is carrying out his responsibilities with great dignity in the face of unrelenting hostility and abuse from the Opposition. We respect him, and we all stand by him. The UPA Government, our party and our coalition colleagues have all worked closely and unitedly all these years,” Sonia asserted.
She cautioned party leaders to be aware that there has been a calculated effort to deliberately falsify and create innuendo, to spread misinformation and untruth. “We must be alert and counter these campaigns which are designed to confuse and demoralise people and thwart the Government’s functioning,” she said, and asked party leaders not be distracted by such reports. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi too sought to assert that there was no difference between the Government and the party and the two enjoy pleasant relations.
In view of the Assembly polls in many States later this year and the general elections in 2014, the Congress’ concern about two of its key Bills related to Food Security and land Acquisition was also evident. Though Sonia attacked the BJP for its “obstructionist approach”, at the same time, she did not miss out to appeal to the principal Opposition party, the coalition its leads, NDA, and other Opposition parties to help pass the two Bills in Parliament.
“We have not applied our mind on issuing ordinances or having a special Parliament session on Food Security and land Bills,” said the PM, however, said amid reports suggesting the two options being mulled by the Government. But he said that the Government is determined to convert Food Bill into an act of Parliament and hoped that the Opposition will cooperate.
Admitting that large-scale corruption has angered the public, Sonia asked party leaders not to be defensive on the issue, as UPA has been uncompromising in its approach to combat this scourge.
Amid allegations of corruption in allocation of telecom spectrum and coal mines which has affected his government’s image, the PM promised to punish wrongdoers and said future allotment of scarce natural resources will happen only through auction.
The UPA released two separate reports cards, one on the overall nine years of its rule so far since 2004 and another on the last one year. The Prime Minister said economic situation is turning around with inflation coming under control and the GDP growth likely to exceed 6 per cent in the current fiscal.
Sonia pointed out that the UPA worked for the weaker sections of the society; the Government overcame global recession and State governments received unprecedented financial assistance from the Centre.
In just one year, the Congress’ changed equation with Samajwadi Party was on display. Neither Mulayam nor any of his representatives attended the dinner reflecting the strained relations between the two parties. BSP supremo Mayawati also chose to skip the dinner but provided some solace to the Congress by sending her representatives Satish Mishra and Brajesh Pathak.
Presence of JMM MP Sanjeev Kumar Sinha at the dinner has given the indication that the Congress may form alliance with the party in Jharkhand. Also Jayaprada and her mentor Amar Singh’s presence at the dinner indicated that the former actor is likely to join the Congress. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and party leader Praful Patel, RJD supremo lalu Prasad, and lJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan attended the dinner.