New Delhi: In a bailout of the UPA government at the Centre, the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati announced in Lucknow on Tuesday that the 21 BSP MPs will abstain from voting on the Opposition-sponsored Cut motions in the Parliament.
Mayawati said she was being forced to keep the Manmohan Singh government alive to keep communal forces away from power even as she criticised the Congress for price rise. "The Congress party let prices rise in its last 50 years of rule. But to stop communal forces from power, the BSP will not vote on the Cut motions," she said.
"The UPA government has been increasing the fuel prices to make common man suffer and benefit the oil companies. Earlier when the Centre increased the prices, the UP government had to absorb losses of about Rs 1500 crore, in order to prevent additional pressure on the common man.
"We should have voted against the UPA government but it would strengthen communal forces to attain power at the Centre. Taking this into account, we have opted to support the government," she said.
"The Congress has been ruling at the Centre for last 50 years, yet the country is facing problems of hunger and unemployment. The Congress needs to change its style of functioning."
"To tackle Naxal problem, the problem of inequality and exploitation should be first addressed. Using the Army or the Air Force is not the solution to the Naxal problem. It can only be solved through economic development," Mayawati said.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as well as the Left parties and some others are set to move Cut motions in Lok Sabha on the budget proposals to hike prices of fuels and fertilisers but the treasury bench is confident of passing the test of strength.
When Budget proposals are presented in Parliament for approval, a lawmaker or a party can question specific allocations with a cut motion. If it is carried in the House, it amounts to a vote of no-confidence and the government is obliged to quit.
While the BSP has decided to bail out the government, the SP and the RJD may stall proceeding at the House. But when asked about unity among the Opposition, Lalu says: "Jo log yeh sab bolte hain woh Congress ka kaam kertein hai. (People who ask all these are actually helping the Congress party.)" On lack of clarity among the Opposition, Lalu said if it is right, then who is responsible for this. However, Janata Dal-United chairperson Sharad Yadav says: "Why Lalu and Mulayam changed their stand is something they must answer. Parties tend to different stands on different issue."
On the allegations that the CBI is softening its stand against Mayawati for her support to the government on the Cut motion, BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said the CBI could find nothing against Mayawati and that is why the case should be closed. Mishra told CNN-IBN: "It's a well know fact that the CBI has nothing against Mayawati and thats' the reason why it has been decided by the CBI to listen to our arguments.
With the UPA almost certain to clear its first floor test on the Cut motions, a disappointed BJP took a dig at Mayawati. But CPI leader Gurudas Dagupta says he believes their intention was to cool down the government not to pull it down.
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