Date:20/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/20/stories/2008072050150100.htm

Front Page

Stay united, Sonia tells MPs

Gargi Parsai

`Baseless to say deal is anti-Muslim'

NEW DELHI: Even as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government prepares itself to face a `make or break' trust vote on July 22, Congress president Sonia Gandhi met party MPs at her residence here on Saturday and asked them to close ranks to ensure the government's victory. She distributed to each MP a booklet, "Facts About India's Initiative For Seeking International Cooperation in Civil Nuclear Energy.''

The MPs who met the party president said she looked "confident.'' She explained to them the merits of the India- U.S. nuclear deal and urged them to take it to the people across the country as a "necessity'' to meet power shortage.

She allayed the apprehensions of some Muslim MPs, saying that it was "baseless'' to think the pact was "anti-Muslim.'' "She asked the MPs to stand solidly behind the government and vote decisively for it,'' party general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, told journalists here.

Four MPs from Uttar Pradesh - Manvendra Singh (Mathura), Rajesh Mishra (Varanasi), Brijendra Singh (Aligarh) and Surendra Goel (Ghaziabad) - who were said to have been "approached'' to change sides, held hands and declared that they were "here and together'' with the UPA. Although R.L. Jalappa of Karnataka, who had expressed his unhappiness with the State Congress, was amongst the MPs from his State who met Ms. Gandhi, three others - M.H. Ambareesh (Mandya), N.Y. Hanumanthappa (Chitradurga) and A. Venkatesh Naik (Raichur) - did not come.

A.F. Golam Osmani of Barpeta in Assam, Arvind Kumar Sharma of Karnal and Kuldeep Bishnoi of Bhiwani in Haryana were absent. Emerging from the meeting with the party chief, the Kanakpura MP, Tejaswini Gowda, denied rumours about her going against the government on the trust vote.

"How can I join the BJP. I am a strong follower of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. The nuclear deal is for the country and I support it fully.''

Senior leader Veerappa Moily said Ms. Gandhi's meeting with the MPs was "a matter of courtesy.'' Asked whether the Prime Minister could resign before a trust vote, he said, "The question does not arise as we will win.''