The Hindu : Biggest victory for Opposition: Yechury

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Wednesday, Aug 20, 2003

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Biggest victory for Opposition: Yechury

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD AUG. 19. The "biggest victory'' for the Opposition in the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha is that the NDA Government had "lost its prestige and reputation'', Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) Politburo member, observed here today.

Addressing a press conference, he said that no speaker fielded by the Government side was able to reply to "even one of the issues raised by the Opposition''. "It has all been rhetoric and nothing substantial has been said," Mr. Yechury quipped.

Another victory for the Opposition, he pointed out, was that it could raise issues such as unemployment, distress suicides and drought.

The Government, he claimed, had been able to avoid facing these problems by creating such a situation, with the NDA allies disrupting the Parliamentary proceedings.

Referring to the CII report presenting a rosy picture of the economy with a 6.5 per cent growth rate, Mr. Yechury said the figures put out by official agencies showed only 4.8 per cent.

He accused the Vajpayee Government of "succumbing'' to U.S. pressure. Mr. Yechury alleged that following an "India-US-Israel axis'', the Government was inviting the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to come on an official visit.

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