NDA debates over boycotting budget debate

While a boycott of Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Railway Budget speech by the NDA is almost a certainty, no unanimity has emerg...

While a boycott of Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Railway Budget speech by the NDA is almost a certainty, no unanimity has emerged yet on participation in the subsequent debate.

BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today that NDA leaders would meet here tomorrow to draw up the strategy. Sources said the railways being of mass concern, most MPs are keen on participating in the debate to raise the problems in their constituencies. It would be obviously difficult for the NDA to first boycott Laloo’s speech and then justify its participation in the discussion on it.

Naqvi cited the ‘‘clean chit’’ given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ‘‘tainted’’ ministers and argued that it had provoked the Opposition rather than pacifying it.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, on the other hand, told newspersons that he has spoken to Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani to seek his co-operation for peaceful conduct of proceedings. Azad said he has assured him he would discuss the matter with his party colleagues. When told that the BJP had already resolved to disrupt the proceedings, Azad said: ‘‘I don’t think any Opposition party would avoid a discussion on the budget,’’ adding: ‘‘Today’s NDA is different from what it was six years ago. They have been in the government and they know their responsibilities.’’ As for the Congress’ boycott of George Fernandes, he said: ‘‘We didn’t boycott the House. We did not just put any questions to him.’’

Once an MP, rape-convict Prajwal Revanna is now a clerk at prison library

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Former JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former PM H D Deve Gowda, has been assigned clerical duties at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after receiving a life sentence for rape. He earns Rs 520 per day and faces multiple charges stemming from four cases, with evidence including videos of the assaults recorded on his phone. He was found guilty in one case and still faces trial in the others.

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