'Taint' spreads: NDA allies refuse to toe BJP line

NEW DELHI: Differences between the BJP and some of its NDA partners, such as the TDP and Shiv Sena, on how to deal with the issue of registering their protest against the continuance of "tainted" ministers have cropped up.
While BJP wishes to boycott not just railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav''s Budget speech, but also the discussion that follow besides stalling the proceedings of the two Houses till four "tainted" ministers are dropped, other parties feel this would be futile.They would prefer a mixture of protest and attending the House so that they can articulate their objections to the Yadav''s Rail Budget.
NDA sources said the compromise being worked out includes the decision to only boycott the presentation of the Railway Budget while attending the discussion, as well as passing a resolution to stage a walkout every time any of the "tainted" ministers rises to answer a question during Question Hour exactly in the way the Congress had boycotted former defence minister George Fernandes.
These are the decisions likely to be taken at the NDA meeting when it meets on Tuesday morning to finalise its common strategy before the presentation of the Railway Budget on Tuesday.
The decision was to be taken on Monday, but differences within the NDA led to the postponement. The official reason being given for the postponement was that there were not enough MPs present on Monday.
A senior Shiv Sena MP said, "We are opposed to the Congress but would like to use the forum of Parliament to register our objections. A boycott serves no purpose." A senior TDP MP added, "It''s ridiculous to talk of boycotting the session — no purpose will be served. We want to be present at the discussion on the Railway Budget, for instance, so that we can point out the lacunae in it."
After Monday morning''s NDA meeting convened by L K Advani, BJP deputy leader V K Malhotra said, "We have decided to stick to our stand that we will not allow Parliament to transact any business till the ''tainted'' ministers are dropped. Added to it is the governors'' issue. We will vociferously raise both these issues in both the Houses and stall the proceedings."
Later, at an all-party meeting called by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, BJP conveyed its "displeasure" over the UPA government''s "attitude" to its demand for the removal of the "tainted" ministers, party sources said.
Parliamentary affairs minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also said that the government was willing to have a full-fledged discussion in Parliament under the suitable rules on the issue of "tainted" ministers.