www.expressindia.com - Weather | Horoscope | Stocks | RSS
expressindia web city
HomeBlogsCricketAstrologyShopping TendersClassifieds Opinions Jobs Hotels
Sign In / Register | Archive
Expressindia » Story

SP seeks to delink support to UPA from nuke deal

Font Size

Agencies

Posted: Jul 02, 2008 at 1424 hrs IST

New Delhi, July 2: With the Congress going whole hog to woo it, Samajwadi Party on Wednesday appeared to delink the issue of support to UPA government from the nuclear deal projecting communalism as the 'biggest challenge' facing the country.

Party general secretary Amar Singh claimed that even the Left, which has threatened to withdraw support to UPA government, was against early Lok Sabha polls.

"During my talks with Karat, I requested him to unite against communalism. Even he is against early general elections," Singh said.

Singh's comments came after hectic parleys amongst its top leadership including party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who on Tuesday made it plain that there were "no political enemies" for SP.

The remarks were interpreted as signals that SP, having 39 members, was ready to do business with the Congress-led UPA in the event of the Left parties pulling the rug.

Singh, however, sidestepped a volley of questions whether SP would support the nuclear deal. Mulayam Singh Yadav too was evasive over the issue.

Singh's refrain was that communal forces posed a bigger danger to the country and secular forces would ill afford an early Lok Sabha elections.

"Communalism is the biggest challenge facing the country today. We identified it as a major issue during the meeting of the party's Parliamentary board," Singh said.

The SP general secretary also claimed that the UNPA, which is meeting here tomorrow in the backdrop of the political stalemate over the nuclear deal, would not split over the issue and continue to be united.

"We will not break and our policies will also not break," he said.

Singh dismissed as 'big lie' reports suggesting that SP was angling for key Cabinet berths at the Centre in lieu of its support.

The SP leader projected that the BJP and the BSP were coming together. "This was clear from Advani's rally in Kanpur recently, where he declared SP as BJP's enemy number one. He opened all his cards there and showed his openness towards BSP," Singh said.

Attacking the BSP, Singh said that Mayawati openly campaigned for Narendra Modi during Gujarat polls "and it became clear from Advani's speech in Kanpur that BSP is the B-team of BJP".

Describing BSP as a party that plays "opportunistic politics", Singh said that it has ditched SP, Congress and even BJP thrice in the past, "yet BJP is now wooing BSP".

He said that opportunistic forces thrive all time.

"Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and DMK are in UPA and were in NDA government also. Today every party is secular, except us."

Earlier in the day, Yadav arrived at Singh's residence here and after a brief meeting, both the leaders left for party colleague Janeshwar Mishra's residence.

After an hour-long meeting with Mishra, both Singh and Yadav left. Singh told mediapersons waiting outside Mishra's residence that their meeting with National Security Adviser M K Narayanan would be held in the evening at 5 pm. He refused to divulge the venue of the meeting.

Discuss this story on expressindia forums
Post Comments
Name* Email ID*
Subject* Country*
Message*
Characters remaining
 
TERMS OF USE: The views, opinions and comments posted are your, and are not endorsed by this website. You shall be solely responsible for the comment posted here. The website reserves the right to delete, reject, or otherwise remove any views, opinions and comments posted or part thereof. You shall ensure that the comment is not inflammatory, abusive, derogatory, defamatory &/or obscene, or contain pornographic matter and/or does not constitute hate mail, or violate privacy of any person (s) or breach confidentiality or otherwise is illegal, immoral or contrary to public policy. Nor should it contain anything infringing copyright &/or intellectual property rights of any person(s).
I agree to the terms of use.

Latest News

Business

Showbiz

Sports

SC notice to Centre on Delhi HC verdict on gay sex

China objected to ADB funds for Arunachal: Krishna to RS

Top guns to sit on AI advisory board

We know talks are important, but end violence first: India to Pak

CBI waiting in the wings as CID investigates Ranbir's 'murder'

Varun security issue: Sushma not happy with PC's briefing

Hooch Tragedy: Death toll climbs to 86, bootleggers detained

More
© 2009 The Indian Express Limited. All rights reserved
The Indian Express Group | Advertise With Us | Privacy Policy | Feedback | Work With Us | Site Map