Date:23/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/23/stories/2008072359670600.htm

New Delhi

‘PM should own up responsibility’

Staff Reporter

Chandrababu Naidu on bribe issue

NEW DELHI: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) convener N. Chandrababu Naidu asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to own moral responsibility on the allegation made by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday about crores of rupees allegedly offered as bribe to him by a Samajwadi Party leader to vote in favour of the government.Talking to media persons immediately after the Lower House was adjourned due to the disturbance on the issue, Mr. Naidu wanted the Prime Minister to explain to the nation what had actually transpired. He also asked Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to order an independent inquiry to unravel the entire mystery in the episode.

Earlier in the day, expelled TRS Member of Parliament A. Narendra met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and offered his support to the government.

Later, he told newspersons that Ms. Gandhi had assured him that the Congress would take an early decision on the separate Telangana issue.

He said that he had trusted TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and was mislead by him.