Two relevant stories from Pioneer, 9 August 2007
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Shiv Sena breaks ice, attends NDA meet
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The Shiv Sena made the first move on Wednesday to remove the strain in its tie with the BJP and attended the meeting of the NDA parliamentary party.
The Sena had skipped the last two NDA meetings and the relation between the two partners had come to breaking point after the Sena supported UPA nominee Pratibha Patil in the presidential contest.
Sena leader Manohar Joshi attended the NDA meeting ahead of the vice-president's election on Friday. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said she "hopes" Sena would vote for the Opposition alliance's Vice-Presidential candidate Najma Heptullah.
"There's a saying that action speaks louder than words. In the context of today's meeting I can say presence (of Joshi) speaks louder than words," she remarked.
The BJP leader, who had been NDA-backed presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's spokesperson, recalled that Joshi had not turned up at two key meetings in the run-up to the election to the highest office. "But now he has."
But the NDA continued to face problem as its Orissa partner BJD skipped the Wednesday meeting. The BJD's move comes in the wake of senior BJP leader Jual Oram's recent attack on Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in connection with moves to lease out the Khandadhar mines to South Korean steel giant POSCO in the State.
No representative from the Trinamool Congress either attended the meeting chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.
"They (BJD and Trinamool) said they have not received the letter of invitation," Sushma Swaraj claimed as she insisted flooding in eastern states could be the reason for a possible communication breakdown. "We will have to inquire why our invitation did not reach them," she said.
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AND
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>UNPA to demand division of votes in House </b>
Akhilesh Suman | New Delhi
Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks firm on pushing forward the Indo-US nuclear agreement text in Parliament, he may face a tough task as the <b>United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) has decided to demand for division of votes after the discussion.</b>
"We shall give the notice in this regard in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday and we shall demand for division of votes," Samajwadi Party chief whip Mohan Singh said. He also made it clear that they would oppose the deal and vote against it.
<b>Though the UNPA, which has 84 members in Parliament, would make the final announcement on Thursday after an UNPA meeting, the alliance partners are suspicious that the Government would not allow voting after the discussion.</b>
<b>"If the Speaker and the Chairman goes according to the rule book, there cannot be division of votes on this issue (international agreement)," a Lok Sabha Secretariat official said,</b> adding, however, that the Government and the presiding officers can always decide to change the course.
The UNPA leaders would meet on Thursday and also host a dinner to its MPs before the election of Vice-President on Friday.
However, irrespective of the all out criticism from all political quarters except those in the UPA Government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is determined to go ahead with the text of the civil nuclear agreement.
According to PMO sources, Singh will address the "concerns" of the political parties regarding the deal in the coming session of Parliament beginning Friday, but will not relent under the pressure of either the left parties or that of the opposition.
Singh will make a suo motu statement on the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement in Parliament on August 13.
"This is the final text after consistent discussion with the US officials and any change sought in this may not be feasible," a top Government functionary told The Pioneer.
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And
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->N-deal: Isolated Cong puts up brave faceÂ
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Pushed to a corner after Left's rejection of the 123 Indo-US nuclear deal, the Congress put up a brave front and said that it would discuss with its allies and convince them on the deal.
Standing almost isolated over the deal, the Congress emphasised on Wednesday that it had been brokered keeping the interest of the nation in mind.
Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said: "The Prime Minister has spelt out clearly that for the Government the interest of the country is prime. We are sure that the Government would be able to convince the Left parties on this." <b>The Left parties have demanded that the Indo-US treaty be ratified by the Parliament.</b> The party, however, was evasive over the issue.
Natarajan lobbed the ball conveniently in the court of the UPA Government. She said: <b>"There are many international ramifications of the treaty. So it has to be first discussed and debated within the UPA. It is for the UPA and not the Congress alone to form its view."</b>
When asked if the deal was negotiable, Natarajan said: "It is not for us but the Government to tell. The Left is well within its right to express its opinion. <b>We are confident that the Prime Minister and his Government have done the best for the country and would be able to convince the Left on this.</b>"
<b>The Left's opposition comes at a time when the Government was least expecting it. Party sources said that the Prime Minister was himself addressing the issue. Earlier, he had given presentations to Prakash Karat. The party, however, expected the BJP and not the Left to raise such issues.</b> Congress, however, is not seeing it as a sort of ultimatum by the Left. <b>Natarajan said: "We do not treat this as an 'ultimatum'. This Government will last its full term." </b>
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So there is a big fear that the govt could loose the vote on ratification. BJP should say it will vote in national interests if the issue comes up for division.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Â
Shiv Sena breaks ice, attends NDA meet
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The Shiv Sena made the first move on Wednesday to remove the strain in its tie with the BJP and attended the meeting of the NDA parliamentary party.
The Sena had skipped the last two NDA meetings and the relation between the two partners had come to breaking point after the Sena supported UPA nominee Pratibha Patil in the presidential contest.
Sena leader Manohar Joshi attended the NDA meeting ahead of the vice-president's election on Friday. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said she "hopes" Sena would vote for the Opposition alliance's Vice-Presidential candidate Najma Heptullah.
"There's a saying that action speaks louder than words. In the context of today's meeting I can say presence (of Joshi) speaks louder than words," she remarked.
The BJP leader, who had been NDA-backed presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's spokesperson, recalled that Joshi had not turned up at two key meetings in the run-up to the election to the highest office. "But now he has."
But the NDA continued to face problem as its Orissa partner BJD skipped the Wednesday meeting. The BJD's move comes in the wake of senior BJP leader Jual Oram's recent attack on Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in connection with moves to lease out the Khandadhar mines to South Korean steel giant POSCO in the State.
No representative from the Trinamool Congress either attended the meeting chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.
"They (BJD and Trinamool) said they have not received the letter of invitation," Sushma Swaraj claimed as she insisted flooding in eastern states could be the reason for a possible communication breakdown. "We will have to inquire why our invitation did not reach them," she said.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
AND
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>UNPA to demand division of votes in House </b>
Akhilesh Suman | New Delhi
Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks firm on pushing forward the Indo-US nuclear agreement text in Parliament, he may face a tough task as the <b>United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) has decided to demand for division of votes after the discussion.</b>
"We shall give the notice in this regard in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday and we shall demand for division of votes," Samajwadi Party chief whip Mohan Singh said. He also made it clear that they would oppose the deal and vote against it.
<b>Though the UNPA, which has 84 members in Parliament, would make the final announcement on Thursday after an UNPA meeting, the alliance partners are suspicious that the Government would not allow voting after the discussion.</b>
<b>"If the Speaker and the Chairman goes according to the rule book, there cannot be division of votes on this issue (international agreement)," a Lok Sabha Secretariat official said,</b> adding, however, that the Government and the presiding officers can always decide to change the course.
The UNPA leaders would meet on Thursday and also host a dinner to its MPs before the election of Vice-President on Friday.
However, irrespective of the all out criticism from all political quarters except those in the UPA Government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is determined to go ahead with the text of the civil nuclear agreement.
According to PMO sources, Singh will address the "concerns" of the political parties regarding the deal in the coming session of Parliament beginning Friday, but will not relent under the pressure of either the left parties or that of the opposition.
Singh will make a suo motu statement on the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement in Parliament on August 13.
"This is the final text after consistent discussion with the US officials and any change sought in this may not be feasible," a top Government functionary told The Pioneer.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->N-deal: Isolated Cong puts up brave faceÂ
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Pushed to a corner after Left's rejection of the 123 Indo-US nuclear deal, the Congress put up a brave front and said that it would discuss with its allies and convince them on the deal.
Standing almost isolated over the deal, the Congress emphasised on Wednesday that it had been brokered keeping the interest of the nation in mind.
Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said: "The Prime Minister has spelt out clearly that for the Government the interest of the country is prime. We are sure that the Government would be able to convince the Left parties on this." <b>The Left parties have demanded that the Indo-US treaty be ratified by the Parliament.</b> The party, however, was evasive over the issue.
Natarajan lobbed the ball conveniently in the court of the UPA Government. She said: <b>"There are many international ramifications of the treaty. So it has to be first discussed and debated within the UPA. It is for the UPA and not the Congress alone to form its view."</b>
When asked if the deal was negotiable, Natarajan said: "It is not for us but the Government to tell. The Left is well within its right to express its opinion. <b>We are confident that the Prime Minister and his Government have done the best for the country and would be able to convince the Left on this.</b>"
<b>The Left's opposition comes at a time when the Government was least expecting it. Party sources said that the Prime Minister was himself addressing the issue. Earlier, he had given presentations to Prakash Karat. The party, however, expected the BJP and not the Left to raise such issues.</b> Congress, however, is not seeing it as a sort of ultimatum by the Left. <b>Natarajan said: "We do not treat this as an 'ultimatum'. This Government will last its full term." </b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So there is a big fear that the govt could loose the vote on ratification. BJP should say it will vote in national interests if the issue comes up for division.