Date:17/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/17/stories/2004121714151100.htm

National

Totally committed to Manmohan's leadership: Arjun Singh

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI. DEC. 16. The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, today debunked speculation on his "attempts" to upstage the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. "We are members of a disciplined party, and are totally committed to the leadership of the Prime Minister," Mr. Arjun Singh told the Lok Sabha.

Though his assertion came in the course of his reply to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Bill to constitute a National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, the remarks are being seen as an attempt on Mr. Arjun Singh's part to deny speculation on some kind of rift developing between him and the Prime Minister.

Mr. Arjun Singh's remarks came in response to the charge made by the BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi that the motive behind bringing in the Bill was to upstage the Prime Minister and to signal to the minorities that he was taking the lead on issues concerning them.

He said that it was unfortunate that the BJP had chosen to refer to the Prime Minister in such a manner. "We are a disciplined party. Ms. Sonia Gandhi is our leader. He has been chosen to head the responsibility and all of us are totally committed to his leadership," he said.