CHENNAI 16 NEWS THE HINDU FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2011 Ajit Singh: we openly voted “Not possible to either confirm or deny allegations” against UPA Special Correspondent WikiLeaks allegations related to the 14th Lok Sabha, this is a new government: Pranab NEW DELHI: Describing as base- Vinay Kumar & J. Balaji ment to either confirm or de- was adjourned for the day in he should resign immediate- Opposition to the ruling coa- in the afternoon, Sanjay Ni- less the latest WikiLeaks ny the allegations. the afternoon. ly,” he said. lition. “It is just not possible rupam of the Congress was claim that his MPs had been NEW DELHI: Finance Minister He also asked Leader of the CPI leader Gurudas Das- He wondered whether the without any allurement.” He heard questioning the cred- bribed ahead of the crucial Pranab Mukherjee told the Opposition in the Rajya Sab- gupta raised the issue as soon “control room of the govern- demanded that the Prime ibility of the WikiLeaks ca- trust vote in 2008, Rashtriya Rajya Sabha on Thursday that ha Arun Jaitley whether he as the Lok Sabha met. ment is in Delhi or in Wash- Minister come to the House bles, saying it showed the Lok Dal (RJD) chief Ajit allegations contained in the was satisfied that “whatever Mr. Dasgupta, who had giv- ington.” and offer an explanation. bankruptcy of ideas in the Singh on Thursday said that cables released by the Wiki- has appeared in [a] newspa- en a notice for an adjourn- Samajwadi Party leader Ramchandra Dome of the Opposition. his party had “openly” voted Leaks related to the 14th Lok per report is admissible in the ment motion, said he did so Mulayam Singh wanted a dis- CPI(M) said the cash-for- As the uproar and heated against the United Progres- Sabha, which was dissolved in court of law.” because The Hindu carried cussion, saying his party had vote scam was the “most exchanges continued, Fran- sive Alliance government at May 2009, and the govern- Sitaram Yechury of the CPI an exposé unprecedented in also supported the UPA-I shameful chapter of Indian cisco Sardinha, who was in that time. “We had opposed ment of the day was a newly (M) said the exposé constitu- the history of Indian democ- government. “We had also democracy” and the “shame- the Chair, adjourned the the [Indo-U.S.] nuclear deal elected one, accountable to ted a “humongous indict- racy. “Never has this type of worked to save the govern- ful revelations” proved the House till 6 p.m. When the and after talking to MPs from the 15th Lok Sabha. ment of the way this news come in the newspaper. ment in 2008. Similar allega- Opposition right. House re-assembled, almost Opposition parties we had de- Responding to the Opposi- government has been func- There was a no-confidence tions may be made against us Demanding that Dr. Singh the entire Opposition, includ- cided to vote against the gov- tion attack on the UPA gov- tioning.” It represented not motion moved by us in 2008, also, and we will be maligned. own “moral responsibility” ing the BJP, the CPI, the CPI ernment,” Mr. Singh told ernment, Mr. Mukherjee said only the “gross degeneration and all Opposition parties We want a discussion on the for the episode, he said that (M), the Shiv Sena, the JD(U), journalists. The RLD chief the cables cited by the Wiki- of political morality but also voted against the govern- matter.” whatever happened was a the TDP and the Shiromani said that his party was open to Pranab Mukherjee Leaks website were the corre- gross political opportunism” ment. In order to win the no- Janata Dal (United) chief criminal offence and a crimi- Akali Dal, staged a walkout an investigation into the is- addressing the media in spondence between a of the government while confidence motion, Rs. 50 Sharad Yadav described the nal investigation into it after unsuccessfully demand- sue. He pointed out that sovereign government and its dealing with the trust vote in crore to 60 crore was paid to a exposé as “very serious” and should be held. ing a statement from Dr. against the claims made in New Delhi on Thursday. mission abroad, and it was July 2008. As uproarious number of MPs. If the Prime said it was not possible that When the Lok Sabha re- Singh, who was present in the the U.S. cables, his party had — PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY not possible for the govern- scenes continued, the House Minister does not deny this, 19 MPs crossed over from the assembled after adjournment House. three MPs in 2008 and not four. Interestingly, while Mr. Singh on Thursday said his party had made its position PM must explain, clear days before the trust Advani says Manmohan has lost vote, a report dated July 17 — five days before the July 22 trust vote — said that Com- say Left parties munist Party of India general moral authority to lead government secretary A.B. Bardhan met Special Correspondent ination of an American diplo- Mr. Singh at the latter’s resi- mat, and that it was B. Muralidhar Reddy 2008. He was the political dence in a bid to persuade NEW DELHI: The Left, along additional confirmation on counsellor in the American him to oppose the Indo-U.S. with three other parties, de- what had already happened. NEW DELHI: The National Dem- Embassy. The Americans nuclear deal and vote against manded on Thursday that the “I don’t think it can be a ocratic Alliance (NDA) on were interested in the vote of the UPA government. After Manmohan Singh govern- manufactured thing or a fig- Thursday demanded the re- confidence. One of the of- that meeting, the report quot- ment come clean on the Wiki- ment of imagination. We signation of Prime Minister fenders was lavishly and lib- ed Mr. Bardhan as saying: Leaks exposé that suggested knew all of this had hap- Manomohan Singh, saying he erally working in foreign cell “We met today to discuss the that Members of Parliament pened. It was a well-known lost the ‘moral authority and of the Congress. Indo-U.S. nuclear deal. While were bribed ahead of the fact; this is additional confir- legitimacy’ to lead the gov- “The arrogant Congress our stand over the deal is 2008 trust vote. mation,” he said. ernment after The Hindu ex- displayed the rogue war clear and known to all, Ajit The CPI said the Prime Mr. Karat said the Amer- posé accessed through chests to the American diplo- Singh is yet to take a decision Minister and his government ican diplomat was doing his WikiLeaks on cash-for-votes mat. He certainly could not whether to support or oppose had no right to remain in job. “They have reported in 2008. have concocted these facts in the trust vote. I leave it up to power after this exposé. what they have seen. I don’t Addressing a press confer- relation to a friendly party in him.” Referring to the report in disbelieve the fact that their ence here, NDA working India. The likes of Sant Chat- On July 17, the UPA gov- The Hindu, the leaders of political counsellor has seen chairman L.K. Advani main- wal were inducted in order to ernment also announced its these parties wondered why two boxes shown by some- tained that the cable by a se- induce the Akali Dal.” decision to rename Lucknow Dr. Singh was not present in body,” he said. “The U.S. has nior American diplomat to The statement maintained Airport as Chaudhary Charan Parliament, especially when reported or recorded what his government vindicated that the Finance Minister’s Singh Airport in honour of the day was earmarked for they have seen or heard. the position taken by the defence in the Rajya Sabha Mr. Singh’s father. questions for his office in the That’s not their job to go be- NDA that the government at- that diplomatic immunity Rajya Sabha. yond that. As far as we are tempted to monetarily in- Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance led by L.K. Advani, Sushma prevented the government “The Prime Minister must concerned, it is a matter of duce MPs to vote in favour of Swaraj and Sharad Yadav addressing a press conference at the Parliament from investigating the cable Privilege notice come and explain. Today was deep concern that this has the confidence vote at the House after adjournment of both the Houses on Thursday. was of no avail. his day in the Rajya Sabha and happened to our Parliament height of the crisis over the — PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY “The diplomatic immunity he chose not to be present,’’ and our democratic system,” India-U.S. nuclear deal. extends to protecting the se- against The Hindu CPI(M) MP and Polit Bureau he said. Flanked by leaders of the by The Hindu corroborated that Dr. Singh has lost all not only approached MPs crecy of the cable. That cable member Sitaram Yechury Echoing similar views, the constituents of the NDA, Mr. the position taken by the “moral authority.” with money but got them to has already been released to Special Correspondent said at a press conference at CPI Central Secretariat said Advani ruled out the possibil- NDA that the vote of confi- Dubbing the exposé the speak to the interlocutors. the public. The diplomatic the Parliament House attend- the exposé showed the “ve- ity of the Opposition tabling a dence in favour of the UPA-I “biggest scandal” in the post- The targeted MPs produced immunity does not extend to NEW DELHI: Communist Party ed by H.D.