NDA MPs' strategy meet on Thursday

NEW DELHI: NDA MPs would meet here on Thursday to evolve their strategy in Parliament after they staged a walkout in Lok Sabha on Wednesday over the Finance Minister''s reference to "removal of dust" on the Rajiv Gandhi Water Mission which BJP alleged was "insulting" to the memory of its leader Deen Dayal Upadhyaya after whom the NDA Government had named a water supply scheme.
The Opposition MPs would also be chalking out their strategy on the Shibu Soren issue including a possible march to Prime Minister''s Office or a sit-in before Mahatma Gandhi''s statue opposite the main entrance to Parliament House.
Leader of Opposition L K Advani told reporters here that P Chidambaram''s usage of the term "dust" was "insulting to those who know and respect him".
Recalling that cutting across party lines, leaders had paid rich tributes to Upadhyaya after his "murder" in 1968, Advani regretted that Chidambaram gave a "haughty and insulting reply" when BJP Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha V K Malhotra asked whether Congress thought that schemes should always be named after members from one family.
"When he spoke of removing the dust, naturally our members felt that it was demeaning those illustrious names including that of Jai Prakash Narayan under whose names these schemes were started by the NDA Government. What''s more, the Congress MPs kept on gloating over it as if they have scored a point", he said.
The BJP leader said therefore the party decided to stay away from the House and the meeting tomorrow will decide on "how to proceed in this matter".
Advani regretted that when BJP Members raised objection to the usage of the term "dust", Chidambaram did not say that he "did not mean anything of that kind".
"Instead, he merely said he did not name anyone", the Leader of Opposition said.
Describing Congress party''s attitude as "unparliamentarily", Malhotra said the Treasury Benches led by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were "behaving in a childish way in the Parliament by indulging in thumping of desks and slogan shouting".
Asked whether he was "over reacting", Advani replied in the negative and said, "if they know him (Upadhyaya), nobody would use the term dust."
Swaraj said it was a "serious" matter that the Jharkhand Police has put up a poster outside Soren''s residence declaring him to be a "proclaimed offender".
Meanwhile, party sources said tomorrow''s meeting would discuss all options on the Soren issue including stalling the proceedings of both Houses, staging a walk out, marching to the Prime Minister''s office and even staging a dharna before Mahatma Gandhi''s statue facing the main entrance of Parliament.