'Congress turncoats are now repenting'
[ Tuesday, June 24, 2003 02:12:41 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
LUCKNOW: A number of BJP MLAs, including some of the Congress turncoats, who had
joined as ministers in the ruling coalition, are eager to join the Congress
party, claimed the in-charge of UPCC Naval Kishore Sharma on Monday.
Addressing a press conference, Shrama said that many of the MLAs who had walked
out of the party last January were now repenting there move. “They have all
the perks of ministers but no power (Bas ghoda gadi mila hai aur kuchh nahin)
and their status in the government is no better than that of prisoners, Sharma
declared.
Lambasting the ‘chief minister’s rein of terror’, Sharma said that the
Congress Party had taken a decision to oppose all attempts by the government at
terrorising or harassing the party functionaries and workers.
Outlining the Congress’ stance on coalition politics, he said that Congress
was not averse to pre or post-poll alliance in UP but modalities would be
decided when the occasion demanded. At the moment the opposition is united in
their efforts to oust the government, he said.
Meanwhile, in the day-long meeting of the state executive committee, MLAs and
MPs on Monday, political and economic proposals mooted by Sibte Razi and Shri
Praksah Jaiswal respectively, focused on the major problems issues facing the
masses.
The political proposal of the party unanimously condemned the desperation shown
by the government to cling to power despite losing majority in the House and
requested the governor to ask the chief minister to prove her strength on the
floor of the Assembly.
The proposal has also strongly condemned renaming to Amethi. Cases of atrocities
on dalits have gone up in UP and to divert attention from the failure on the
front, the chief minister was trying to mislead the masses by holding rallies
and making promises, it pointed out.
The proposal also highlighted the growing incidence of violence against women in
UP during the reign of a woman chief minister. There have been shocking
incidents of rape and molestation in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Kanpur and Etah
while capital has witnessed the murder of Madhumita. Although the incidents have
shocked the masses, the government has remained unmoved, declared the proposal.
The economic proposal has expressed concern at the financial mismanagement.
The state ranks 18 on the development index of the country and cottage
industries are dying out, it says.
[Times Of India, Tuesday, June 24, 2003]