The Hindu : Cong. MPs explain conduct

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 16, 2003

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National

Cong. MPs explain conduct

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI MAY 15. The two Congress MPs hauled up by the party leadership for defying the boycott of the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, have replied to the showcause notice issued to them. They said they raised the issue because of reasons of national security and that it was in no way meant as a defiance of the party.

Lakshman Singh, Lok Sabha MP, has, however, advocated an "issue-based and symbolic boycott" of the Minister. Mr. Singh, along with Jagmeet Brar, was hauled up by the party for defying the boycott. Both were issued showcause notices. Mr. Singh said he planned to raise the issue the next time there was a party meeting. "We can continue with the boycott, but it must be issue-based and symbolic," he says.

Mr. Brar, in his reply, adopted a more conciliatory position. He clarified that the decision to move the call attention motion, which led to the resultant furore in his party, was neither meant to defy the leadership.

He said he had raised the aircrashes' issue because it had implications for national security and had taken an emotive overtone in Punjab, his home State, because of the large number of MiG crashes in the area. The State had over 5 lakh ex-servicemen and he was under considerable pressure from them to raise the issue.

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