Front Page

UP Governor had no option: PM
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 8. The Uttar Pradesh Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri's decision to recommend President's rule in the State was defended by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who told the Lok Sabha today that ``he (Mr. Shastri) had no other option.''

Mr. Vajpayee's remarks came during an impromptu discussion on the issue during zero hour. He intervened as the Opposition repeatedly cited the President's decision in 1996 to allow him to prove his majority on the floor of the House, despite his being well short of a majority.

Mr. Vajpayee said the House would have to decide whether inviting the single-largest party to form the government should become a convention. Those citing the 1996 example had criticised the President and even ``bad-mouthed'' him, he alleged.

Turning the tables on the agitated members of the Samajwadi Party - who repeatedly interrupted him - by pointing out that the ``numbers did not suit them,'' in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Vajpayee said ``if the numbers do not add up for my friends in the SP, I cannot help it.'' He pointed to the differences between the SP and the Congress, saying the main opposition party had not extended its support to the SP.

A majority of the MLAs in the State were against supporting the SP. And in such a situation, inviting it to form a government would open the floodgates for horse-trading, he said. ``What is the Governor supposed to do..., provide an opportunity for horse-trading?''

Earlier, angry Opposition MPs, belonging to the SP, Congress and the Left demanded that the House reject Mr. Shastri's recommendation. They also wanted a debate on the Governor's conduct of ignoring the SP claims. The members had given a spate of adjournment notices on the issue but the Deputy Speaker, P. M. Sayeed, merely allowed them to raise it. The House had to be adjourned during question hour.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Govt. agrees to `symbolic bhoomi puja' on March 15
• All-party team refuses to meet Modi
• Work to begin before June 2
• UP Governor had no option: PM
• Pak. amnesty for arrested militants
• Muslim board opposes move
• PM's plea on Women's Bill
• Bill to replace Poto tabled
• Sangma quits Statute panel
• Pak. proposal rejected
• Pak. invitation to Advani

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu