Opposition to take on Govt on Goa issue: Sushma

New Delhi, Aug 8 (UNI) Goa development and floods took priority over the 123 Agreement with US as the Opposition NDA today finalised its agenda to be pursued aggressively during the winter Session of Parliament, starting August 10.

Addressing newspersons after an NDA Parliamentary Party meeting held here under the chairmanship of Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, BJP Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, "We might demand a discussion on the flood situation on the very first day in addition to Goa development." The meeting, she said, adopted a resolution denouncing the "highly unethical and patently partisan way in which attempts were made to save the minority Congress Government in Goa headed by Chief Minister Digamber Kamath" on July 30.

The resolution maintained that Goa Democratic Alliance headed by former Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar had a clear majority in the House and must be invited to form the government after dismissing the minority Kamath Government.

It also criticised the manner in which the two MGP MLAs were restrained from voting in the Confidence Vote on July 30 just to save the Kamath Government. It also said the issue had already been raised before the President and the Governor of the state and would be taken up strongly in Parliament.

The resolution said "the NDA is constrained to observe that this blantant partisan and highly unconstitutional conspiracy to force a rank minority government in Goa would not have been possible but for the active patronage support and shelter of the top leadership of the Congress Party including its Prsident and the Prime Minister of the UPA Government." Observing that the UPA Government had not learnt any lessons from the reprimand by the Supreme Court in the case of Jharkhand and Bihar, it said NDA was sure that in the Goa case also the government would suffer similar kind of rebuke.

The meeting, Ms Swaraj said, expressed serious concern over the alarming floods situation in many parts of the country and said it had been decided that it should be given priority over other issues for discussion in Parliament.

Indo-US Nuclear Agreement was another issue, on which the NDA had reservations and would raise it in the House for discussion, particularly under Rule 184, which entails voting on the matter, she added.

UNI