PM main target, Advani drags in Amarnath into debate

Holding PM Manmohan Singh responsible for the current crisis, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani on Monday...

Holding PM Manmohan Singh responsible for the current crisis, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani on Monday termed the Indo-US nuclear deal an 8220;individual to individual8221; agreement that will make India 8220;subservient8221;.

In an hour-long speech that was studded with personal attacks on the PM, the BJP leader said he had seen several short-lived governments but none like the UPA-led rule that has been 8220;paralysed8221; over the nuclear deal for so long.

After Advani8217;s personal attack on Singh, successive speakers from the NDA followed his example. The pitch was raised towards the evening with JDU MP Prabhunath Singh raising questions on the PM8217;s intentions and standing as a leader.

Advani8217;s comments on the Sethusamudram project and the Amarnath land controversy, where he accused the Government of not being sensitive to the religious sentiments of a community, almost brought proceedings in Parliament to a halt.

8220;The UPA Government today is like a patient in the ICU room. If anyone talks about the patient, the first question asked is whether he is going to survive or not,8221; Advani said, adding the Government has been fixated on the nuclear deal while the focus should have been on tackling inflation and internal security.

8220;This has been invited by the Government itself, and Mr Prime Minister, I am sorry to say, by you personallyiquest; If anyone has to be blamed, it is you personally and the Congress president without whom you would not even take a single step. The Opposition has no role in this,8221; Advani said.

Taking a dig at the low-profile status of the PM in the Government, Prabhunath Singh said even Singh8217;s photographs are not visible at offices.

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The Opposition even attacked Singh8217;s reference to Guru Gobind Singh at the introduction of the confidence motion. Akali Dal MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa criticised the PM for 8220;not doing anything8221; for Sikhs or Punjab. This, he said, was the prime reason for not supporting the Government even though 8220;we want the n-deal8221;.

The NDA also accused the Government of resorting to unscrupulous means to achieve majority. BJP MP M A Kharabela Swain claimed that two MPs Kiren Rijiju and Tapir Gao from Arunachal had received an SMS from the UPA saying that they would get a 8220;life time opportunity8221; if they contacted the CM of Arunachal Pradesh, who is from the Congress.

The 8220;new-found love8221; between the SP and UPA came under fire with Shahnawaz Hussain saying the deal was against Muslims and Hindus. 8220;Ye Hindustan ke virodh mein hai,8221; he said, adding the couplet: 8220;Dariya ho khamosh to ye na samajhna rawani nahi hain, hum hain fakar se majboor, nahi samajhna jawani nahi hai.8221;

Taking a dig at the PM, Advani accused him of opposing the 1998 Pokaran II tests in a Rajya Sabha debate. He also took pot shots at Singh8217;s status as a Rajya Sabha MP to say that it was perhaps for the first time that a PM will not be able to vote in favour of his government in a confidence motion.