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| Government should quit and go for elections, says Advani | | | New Delhi | Apr 24
The BJP-led NDA today formed a human chain in Parliament complex to protest price rise while its leader L K Advani asked the government to quit and go for elections if it was unable to control inflation.
"If you can't stop price rise then you should quit and the country should go to polls," Advani said, adding that the opposition was "ready" for the challenge.
Alleging that the government had "failed" on the issue, Advani joined NDA members including leaders like Rajnath Singh, George Fernandes and Manohar Joshi, in forming the chain.
The issue had its echo in both Houses as the agitated Opposition raised vociferous slogans seeking to expose the UPA's "aam aadmi" plank.
Taking a dig at the Left parties and key outside supporters to the government, Advani said that the coalition was "helpless" as its two major allies have diametrically opposite economic and foreign policies.
Claiming that such a coalition cannot work, Advani dubbed the UPA as an "opportunistic get-together" to keep the NDA out.
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for two hours at noon as an agitated Opposition demanded the government to quit.
Talking to reporters later, Advani said that BJP ruled states would take effective steps to ensure foodgrains availability at reasonable rates for the poor.
The leader of the Opposition said that while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed his helplessness in controlling inflation, another union minister has said that the government has no magic wand.
Protests through human chain are generally carried out by the Left parties to register their views on certain issues.
Advani said, "our agitation was not populism but a way to ascertain that just like Article 21 ensures right to freedom of expression, the common man also has every right to food."
Referring to the Emergency days, Advani said at that time when MISA detainees were not allowed to move court, the then Supreme Court Judge Justice Khanna had asked the Attorney General that whether the family members of the detainees were also not allowed to appeal. To this the Attorney General had no reply.
"I relate that situation to the current one where the common man is being denied the right to food due to price rise. The NDA will continue its agitation against inflation throughout the country in different forms," Advani said.
NDA has already called for a general nation-wide strike against inflation on May 2. |
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