And now Mr L K Advani rises, as Leader of the Opposition, and says he opposes the motion.
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Prem says, Even though he said this is an opportunity to consider the totality of the government over the last four years, Advani says that is not the key to this debate.
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Prem says, Let me at the outset say the focus should be why this debate has become necessary.
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Prem says, The issue of the nuclear deal was going on for two years, and it was in August 2007 that for the first time I got the impression that the government has made up its mind to go ahead. He talks of a correspondent of a Calcutta daily who was asked to front page a story that the government has taken a decision, that it was non negotiable, and if the Left does not approve they can do what they want, Advani says
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Prem says, He says that this has been going on from last August, and that it has given him the impression there is nothing else on the government's mind. "So when the PM just said this debate was unnecessary when the government had to focus on inflation and other issues, I am surprised."
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Prem says, Advani says that the BJP differs with the Left on many issues, but not on this. He says four years and two months after the government was formed, it now faces the likelihood of being voted out. Cue much noise, the treasury benches going into overdrive in offense. The Speaker goes please please, and ADvani says, I only said the "possibility", and you cant take offense with that
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Prem says, More interruptions, and the Speaker tries to restore peace. "I appeal to all sections, when the Leader of the Opposition is speaking, please do not interrupt."
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Prem says, All that has happened is more people have gotten up and started yelling at the top of their voices -- the treasury and opposition both
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Prem says, "If you do not devleop the art of listening, how can you reply?" asks Chatterjee
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Prem says, Advani resumes, and says this situation ahs not been brought about by the Opposition, or even by the "Left, with whom I disagree."
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Prem says, The reason is that this session has been invited by the government. "Mr Prime Minister, you started it by giving that interview to the Telegraph. So what is the point of now saying this distraction is keeping the government from concentrating on inflation and other issues."
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Prem says, He points out that the government first said, the Parliament will be consulted BEFORE going to the IAEA and the NSG. But now you are saying you had assured that AFTER those two steps, you will come to the House to brief us.
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Prem says, He now points out that the MPs were not allowed to see the draft IAEA resolution. "It is classified", the government says. "But the countries of the NSG, and people around the world, can see it, but not our own Indian MPs."
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Prem says, "Don't blame anyone else for this session. If anyone is to blame, it is your government and you personally, for going ahead with something without seeking approval of Parliament."
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Prem says, Advani says we would like tod efeat the government on the floor of the house. "But I draw a distinction between defeating and destabilizing. To destabilize is not in our nature. You may do it with Chandra Shekar, with Deve Gowda, and with Mr Vajpayee," Advani said, cutting to Hindi to repeat his point about defeat versus destabilize.
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Prem says, Advani now gets combative, as the Treasury benches try to shout him down, and <span style='color:red'>he says, "If I am not allowed to talk, none of your members [Pointing at the Treasury benches] will be allowed to speak, not a single one." Right, gloves off.</span> And the Speaker by now has hit the 200 mark on 'Please, please...' and he is just beginning
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Prem says, Indeed, Mr Speaker, I can claim to have seen all the Prime Ministers since Independence, and almost all the governments since 1950. First, as a journalist from the press gallery, then as a political activist, and now for four decades as an MP. I have seen short lived governments, instable governments, but I have never seen any government paralyzed for such a long time. nothing except the deal, nothing except continuous meetings between the government and the Left."
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Prem says, If the government says it is in the national interest -- and that is what is said repeatedly -- then why doesn't the CMP mention it, why didn't the Congress party's manifesto mention it?
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Prem says, "I get the feeling that the deal is not between two sovereign nations, but between two individuals, one of whom is the Prime Minister of this country."
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Prem says, he says if the deal is studied, it makes India a junior partner of the US. "I don't want the world to become a unipolar world. I want a multipolar world, and I want India to become a principle pole of such a world," says Advani, saying that the deal as it stands will not fulfill this objective.
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Prem says, He points to the recent detailed writings of his colleague in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Shourie, and says he wont go into more detail. The question, he says, is to decide whether the government's actions have been right, and to vote on that basis. In other words, the argument is, we are not debating the deal itself, but more, we are debating whether the government has taken the right political steps on the issue, such as having taken the Parliament into confidence.
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Prem says, he points out that India had decided way back in 1954 to become a nuclear weapons state.
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Prem says, when we formed the NDA government, Advani says, we wanted to go nuclear, but some of our allies did not. We discussed the issues with them, got their agreement, and we included it in our CMP as the national agenda.
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Prem says, Further, he said, Vajpayee within two months of taking charge conducted the nuclear tests, as mentioned in our agenda, our CMP. "MY stress is, if the coalition dharma had been followed, this motion would not have been necessary." His point is, if you had taken the Left into confidence as the NDA did its allies, there would have been no need for this debate. "Please do not call it a distraction. it is part of the Parliamentary democracy that every party has to be able to prove its majority." <span style='color:red'>It is an irony, he said, that for the first time a PM will not be able to vote for his own motion -- a little dig at the fact that Dr Singh is not a member of the Lok Sabha.</span>
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Prem says, "Mr Prime Minister, you should not have gone stealthily to the IAEA." He said newspapers have published that whether the UPA sinks or swims, the deal is done. "I don't know if this is true, that the Indian Parliament has now become irrelevant."
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Prem says, Advani's reference is to a recent page one story in the Telegraph that the deal is on auto pilot, and will go through. "MY feeling is that this is not true, my feeling is that the Congress of America will consider whether the government is in power."
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Prem says, Advani says we are not against a strategic relationship with America, Russia [Images], Japan [Images], whoever. "We differ from the Left in this regard," Advani says.
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Prem says, The US is quoted in that story as saying the US will sign a deal even if teh government is in minority.
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Prem says, Advani meanwhile points at the Hyde ACt. The government says it does not apply, the US says it does apply, points out Advani.
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Premsays, He points out that the Hyde ACt has already been discussed in Parliament, and the majority then did not agree, and had even walked out.
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Prem says, Advani points out that we in India do not have a requirement tht international agreeements should be okayed by Parliament
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Prem says, However, he argues, wehn the international agreement in question impacts of national sovereignity and integrity and security, then Parliament needs to be taken into confidence
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Prem says, He says that it is not on to justify India signing away its testing rights by saying Vajpayeeji had voluntarily proclaimed a moratorium on testing.
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Prem says, He pionts out that neitehr Nehru nor Shastri were in favor of going nuclear -- but neither of them were ready to sign the NPT. His argument is, irrespective what you feel about nuclear weapons, you cannot sign away the rights to test, as the Hyde Act requires of India.
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Prem says, Ah, here comes the big pitch: "We are not saying we will scrap the nuclear deal. We are saying we will renegotiate it as a treaty between equals."
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Prem says, "Mr Prime Minister, two days after your 2005 joint statement with President Bush, a journalist asked you if you saw any opposition from your allies and from the opposition? Dr Singh said, "Well, the Parliament in our country is powerful. It goes without saying that we can move forward only on the basis of a broad national consensus." This is what he said.So tell me, is there a consensus? Even if the government wins the vote tomorrow, even that does not mean there is consensus. I for one don't mind if the UPA wins the vote tomorrow, because after two or three months what will happen, I know." Advani's line here is that with a ragtag coaltion now in place, the pulls and pressures inherent will make every step hazardous from here on, and the government will constantly be scrambling to survive.
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Prem says, Advani now says that the PM has made many assurances. And that he had repeatedly asked for a joint parliamentary committee to examine the issues of the deal and get a sense of consensus, but the government consistently refused to do it.
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Prem says, The gist of that story is: The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been working over time in mustering up the numbers to defeat the UPA, will fall short by another lawmaker, with the resignation of its MP from Bellary, Karunakar Reddy.
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Prem says, Advani, meanwhile, is now quoting a spokesperson of the US administration, who said that by signing the deal, India will become member of the non proliferation regime.
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Prem says, Outside Parliament, Mayawati is giving a press conference. She says, if India is to sign the nuclear deal, the US should support India's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
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Prem says, Dr Singh interrupts to point out that Mr Advani is not supposed to quote from the proceedings of the other House. He sits, and Mr Advani and Dr Singh are now debating that particular point of issue, arising out of Advani's quoting something the PM supposedly said in the Rajya Sabha. Dr Singh says, procedurally you cannot quote, and now you are quoting in part, but not the whole, of the PM's statements.
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Prem says, Advani now points out that currently nuclear energy provides 3 per cent, if the deal is implemented that could go to 6 per cent, so there is no point in the government saying the deal gives energy security to the country, and the nation will be plunged into darkness if the deal is cancelled. "We don't agree with this," says Advani.
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Prem says, Advani says, you wanted a debate on your performance. Okay, your CMP says we will provide electricity for all in five years -- and asks, there are 7.8 crore unelectrified households today, so where is this promise, and other promises on roads, on water, on basic amenities that you had spelt out in the CMP
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Prem says, Advani points out that the golden quadrilateral highway project was an NDA initiative, and that the UPA has done nothing in the infrastructure to match that.
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Prem says, Now Advani goes to the question of rising prices =-- and Laloo Prasad is on his feet objecting about something or other, while Advani smiles and waits for the noise tos ubside
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Prem says, Now he is talking of India being named a secular state, and asking why secularism means that you should be against Hindus all the time. Cue confusion -- a few dozen from treasury benches yelling objections, and Somnath saying that is his party's view, so why are you objecting?
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Prem says, And Advani's own colleagues protesting the protestors. Kya karoon main, asks Somanth. "Gala dabaoon uska?"
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Prem says, Advani is now talking of the series of blasts across the country, and terrorist attacks across the country during these four years. "It is a long and bloody trail," he says
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Prem says, More interruptions. "You can't have a running commentary when the Leader of the Opposition is speaking," says an angry Somnath. I hope he is speaking to the Parliamentarians, and not telling me to shut up. Anyway.
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Prem says, He says the UPA has been playing to the Muslim vote bank by soft pedalling on taking action against terrorists. He now refers to the feet dragging on the Afzal issue. The Supreme Court says the man who masterminded the attack on Parliament should be put to death, but the government continues to drag its feet, says Advani, arguing that this is not genuine secularism. And now he brings in Amarnath, the Sethu Samudram, and such issues. What is now happening is that the Leader of the Opposition, having sketched his opposition to the motion, is now speaking with the view to the next election.
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Prem says, He refers to the recent confusion where land was given for use of the Amarnath pilgrims, there was a hue and cry, and the land was withdrawn. "I have no doubt the hand of the ISI was behind those protests. And the UPA government succumbed," he says.
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Prem says, Now Advani moves to the Sethu Samudram project.
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Prem says, There is considerable noise now, ADvani manages a lone and up go the protestors, while Somnath Chatterji says please, please, with all the effectiveness of an umbrella in a typhoon.
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Prem says, One of the problems for the Opposition benches is that they don't want the interruptions by the Treasury MPs to be recorded. Somnath has been saying repeatedly that outside of Adfvani's words, nothing is being recorded, and this is the 20th time he has said that, but we are still in fury mode. Everyone talking, all at once, Somnath also talking, now on his feet in anger, but no one seems to be paying much heed.
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Prem says, I am grateful to the honorable MPs. I can take a quick loo break. :-) Be right back
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Prem says, Okay, been there, done that, and the confusion continues.
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Prem says, More Mayawati: She says the nuclear deal will hamper the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline.
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Prem says, TRR Balu wants to respond to Advani. He doesnt seem to listen to the Speaker, who has in the last few minutes said a dozen times that he will allow Balu to respond when the time comes. Balu, though, wants his say right now. Clearly, the red rag for him is Advani's reference to the Sethusamudram project
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Prem says, Advani is sitting in his seat, smiling at the confusion. The PM in his seat, his face as usual immobile. 'Kya ho raha hai!" the country is looking at us, says Somnath. Yeah, right, like anyone cares.
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Prem says, One of the reasons for the protest is seemingly because some aspects of Sethu Samudram is sub judice and hence should not be brought up. that at least is Balu's argument.
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Prem says, "You may have good reason to be excited, but do it at the proper time," says Somnath to the noise makers.
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Prem says, ADvani again: He points out that his point is there are many places in this country of pilgrimage. When the late Benazir Bhutto [Images] wanted to go to Ajmer Dargah, he says, he arranged it. But what is happening at Amarnath is shocking!
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Prem says, Advani: One last point. The inquest of this government will not be complete unless I mention that various democratic institutions are being misused for questionable politics
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Prem says, Ah, now he brings in the CBI. Quattrochi escaping from the country, and take away 20 crore from a foreign bank. I recall that in 1999, there was as little difference between thet wo contesting parties, when Vajpayee sought a vote of confidence. We knew the result will be very narrow. yet, I don't recall a single allegation of this kind being recorded against the NDA government
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Prem says, "The CBI has been used" says Advani, against political opposition. He doesnt mention Mayawati, but the opposition's latest lodestar and her problems have been in the headlines this past two weeks, so this is a bit of a bone thrown in that direction
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Prem says, Advani wants someone in government to speak of what has been done for farmers in the last foiur weeks
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Prem says, He says the happenings of the past fortnight has sullied the image of the Indian government.
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Prem says, He characterizes these incidents as an attempt to convert a minority government into a majority. All of this, he says, is to ensure the government survives for another 100 days. To what point? What would have happened if the government had said, fine, let's go to the people?
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Prem says, Judging from the sheaf of papers in his hand, Advani has a lot more to say, but I notice him skpping past a couple of pages. "I know today or tomorrow we have to go to the people, and the people's verdict will prevail," she Adfvani and finally concludes.
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/22upavote.htm
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