Ambika defends PM's advice to India Inc,lashes out at Aiyar

New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) Senior Congress Leader and Union Cabinet Minister Ambika Soni today defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent advice to India Inc to show social responsibility, and said he had to do this as otherwise there would be ''confrontation.'' She, however, criticized her cabinet colleague Mani Shakhar Aiyar for expressing similar sentiments, and accused him of breaking ''mantra of cabinet collective responsibility'' and usurping the Prime Minister's ''prerogative.'' Explaining and amplifying Dr Singh's speech made at the annual session of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on May 24, Ms Soni, who is Minister for Tourism in the Union Cabinet, said the Prime Minister was ''touching the conscience of the rich'' and saying ''please look at the others also'' otherwise ''there will be confrontation.'' ''It is time that either the Prime Minister or the UPA Chairperson (Ms Sonia Gandhi) were to tell those who have benefited from the first three years of this government that now please look at the others also - we came on the promise of giving a better deal to the aam admi,'' She told the 'Devil's Advocate' programme today on CNN-IBN.

In this context, she pointed out : ''We've seen it not only in India but around the world that you cannot have those who move forward and those who remain backward 'aamne samne' (face to face).

There will be confrontation. No, that's not possible. And the Prime Minister has to do this.'' Ms Soni said as long as ''the man in the rural areas, the tribal, the vulnerable sections (and) the exploited lot shed tears we are still not in Mahatma Gandhi's terms truly independent''.

Asked about the moral correctness of the Prime Minister telling entrepreneurs how they should behave, the Minister asserted that if the Prime Minister's advice was not heeded,''there will be confrontation.'' ''It's a question of touching the conscience within. It's a question of touching those people who may forget in their quick steps forward that there are lots of people who still have to have a share in the pie, who at least have to feel self-confident that as India is moving forward their children are also going to have a better deal.

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