Shri Anand Sharma said that the very application, which the Central Government filed in the Supreme Court, was ill advised, mischievous and it was done under the pressure of the Sangh Parivar. Over a period of time, the Sangh Parivar has graduated from doublespeak to multiple-speak. An impression is sought to be given that the RSS, VHP and the Government are at loggerheads while in reality they are working in tandem for the same purpose. The Government must make its position on the Supreme Court judgement unequivocally clear. The Government’s past conduct calls for a categorical assurance that the Supreme Court’s judgement shall be respected and none of these organisations will be able to violate it as they are threatening to do.

Smt. Ambika Soni said that we have with us Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad who has come to welcome Shri Janak Raj Gupta, a very senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir. Congress President has asked us to welcome him to the Congress Party. For a short time he was in the National Conference and now he has come back to the Congress Party, which is his natural field for political activity. Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Shri Gupta has been a member of long standing in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and Lok Sabha. He has also held important positions in the organisation. We are sure that by his joining, the Congress Party will be further strengthened particularly in the Jammu region. We welcome him to the Congress Party.

Shri Jaipal Reddy said that there is unanimity among various sections of people in the country and among various political parties that the military action taken by the Coalition led by the United States in Iraq is unjust and a gross violation of international law. We in the opposition would like to have not only a full-fledged discussion in both Houses of Parliament but also a resolution in both Houses. We learnt that the Government is open to suggestion of a common resolution and leaders of the opposition will meet at 5pm to discuss a common draft. We cannot at this stage say whether there would be any agreement on a common draft but in view of the paramount importance of the issue we should try and get a unanimous resolution adopted.

Shri Jaipal Reddy read out Congress President’s letter. He said that all over the country powerlooms and the readymade garment industry has been on strike over VAT and Excise Duty. The Congress President wants the Finance Minister to consider the matter in regard to those units in which very few powerlooms are working.

Asked what was the Congress Party’s stand on the BJP’s proposal to scrap the anti-defection law, Shri Jaipal Reddy said that the Congress Party is for continuation of anti-defection law. However, we will welcome amendments that can make the law more effective and pointed.

Shri Jaipal Reddy said that we are distressed to note that the Chief Minister of UP, Mayawatiji, has taken recourse to politics of reckless revenge. She has no regard for either political decencies or constitutional provisions. She has not shown any regard for somebody like Shri Motilal Voraji, who acted as Governor of UP. It is important to note that she was ordering investigation. She has come to the conclusion that Shri Motilal Voraji as Governor was guilty of misuse of power and investigation is following her conclusion. The process has been reversed. Everybody knows that the President of India and the Governors of States are protected under Article 361 of the Constitution in a generalised way. We are not playing upon this Article. She threatened to launch prosecution while ordering investigation. She herself admitted that she does not have the final investigation report. We also condemn the manner in which 136 cases have been slapped on Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav who was Chief Minister years ago. This is an extreme example of abuse of power, arrogance of office and she derives her power from the patronage of BJP.

On the attack on Hindu dieties by Ms. Mayawati, Shri Jaipal Reddy said that we believe that symbols of religious worship of any religious groups should not be attacked. Mayawatiji committed grave impropriety by attacking the Hindu deities.

Shri Jaipal Reddy said that we are surprised at the cavalier and casual approach of the Government towards the ongoing truckers’ strike. The strike has caused immense loss to the Indian economy. It has also, more importantly and urgently, led to steep increase in prices of essential commodities. In spite of this huge dislocation in the economic life of the nation, the Government of India has remained indifferent. The matter was raised in both Houses.

Shri Jaipal Reddy said that in our considered view, the report of the Standing Committee on Defence is a severe and comprehensive indictment of the working of the Defence Ministry. We need to note that this is a unanimous report of a committee headed by a BJP Member. The indictment was on many counts backed by concrete evidence and substantive merits. We therefore demand that Mr. George Fernandes be dropped from the Ministry. Earlier, we were demanding his exit from the Ministry on grounds of turpitude. Now addition to turpitude we demand his exit on grounds of inaptitude. We would like to highlight three points made by the report, though it made more than ten substantive points. The first one is continuous gross underutilization of earmarked funds meant for modernization and upgradation of our defence forces. This is a reflection on the entire NDA Government.

Shri Jaipal Reddy said that the BJP-led Government in Delhi displays verbal belligerency when it comes to national security but when it comes to actual action they develop cold feet. The performance of Defence Ministry has been so greatly compromised that we charge the NDA Government with having neglected our minimal defence requirements at a time when the external environment has deteriorated sharply. We want to refer to Kargil Tax, surcharge was collected in the name of Kargil. That amount was not only not spent, it was diverted and clubbed with general revenue. This fund should have been treated separately, monitored separately. It’s a case of unauthorized immoral utilization of fund collected for national security. In 2002-2003, the amount so collected was more than Rs. 4,000 crores. The third point we would like to highlight is about bullet-proof jackets. This Government showed great haste in buying coffins through over-invoicing while there were moving at a snail’s pace in buying life-saving bullet-proof jackets. The report says there was slippage or shortage in buying over 2,50,000 bullet-proof jackets. The Defence Ministry was not bothered about the lives of soldiers who are continuously involved in low-intensity conflict. The causalities in low-intensity conflicts are sometimes higher than those in high-intensity conflicts. We have been facing low-intensity conflict in Jammu and Kashmir for so many years.

Shri Ahmed Patel said that Shri Rajiv Shukla and Shri Satish Sharma, ex-Minister of Uttar Pradesh, met the Congress President and expressed the view that they want to join the Congress Party, as it is the only party, which can keep the nation united in today’s time. Shri Rajiv Shukla was a member of the Coordination Committee of the NDA from which he has resigned. Their entry will strengthen the Congress Party. Shri Rajiv Shukla has voted along with the Congress Party in Parliament on many issues. He has been close to us for a number of years.

Shri Rajiv Shukla said that this was the first time he was joining the Congress Party. He had decided to join the Congress Party because in today’s difficult times it is the only party that is above casteism, communalism and regionalism.

About the Congress Party’s position on the three legislative proposals cleared by the Cabinet yesterday, Shri Jaipal Reddy said that of the three proposals we were consulted in regard to the base of delimitation being shifted from 1991 to 2001. We did give our concurrence. In regard to the two other proposals that require constitutional amendment we were not consulted. They are both important far-reaching legislative proposals. Whenever it comes to legislative agenda, which is not confined to any particular party or period, we have always adopted a constructive but nuanced approach. Unless we look at the fine print of the amendments we will not be able to react. Secondly, both these amendments will have to be referred to the Standing Committee, where they will be scrutinized. We will look at the Bills when they are presented, and our party will take a view. As of now, we would not be able to accept or reject the proposals.

Shri Jaipal Reddy said that one of the office-bearers of the BJP hinted at the desirability of advancing the next Lok Sabha poll to the early part of the next calendar year. Our response is that it better be advanced sometime in the current calendar year because that is the only way for this country to be emancipated from the misrule of this BJP-led Government. Earlier the better. We are not only confident of facing the next poll anytime, we are in fact eager to face the next Lok Sabha poll as early as possible. The logic of numbers of the thirteenth Lok Sabha is such that the BJP-led Government will survive by default. We therefore think the historical necessity is acceleration of the birth of fourteenth Lok Sabha.

- Tom Vadakkan
Media Secretary