Congress hits back at NCP over coalition Dharma

New Delhi, Apr 4 (UNI) A day after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) accused the Congress of not observing the coalition dharma in the UPA, the latter today hit back saying that it was the NCP which had violated the 'essence of coalition" by tying up with the BJP in Meghalaya.

"There has been a successful Congress-led secular formation in Maharashtra and at the Centre and the NCP is a partner of such a coalition. But the NCP has tied up with the BJP to share power in Meghalaya. Therefore, it is for the NCP to explain what forced it to run with the hare and hunt with the hound," AICC Spokesman Abishek Manu Singhvi told mediapersons.

Asserting that the Congress, which is heading the multi-party UPA coalition at the Centre, had been scrupulously following coalition dharma in every respect, he said the only party that had left the coalition during the past four years was the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Barring the case of the TRS, all the coalition partners worked with utmost cohesiveness and solidarity.

In this context, Dr Singhvi said it was for the NCP to introspect if the solidarity in the coalition was not weakened because of its outbursts against the Congress and the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Apparently referring to the reported role played by former Lok Sabha Speaker and NCP leader P A Sangma in the formation of the "non-secular government" in Meghalaya, he said "Let the NCP not be a hostage to subjective predilections of any individual in state politics. Let the NCP not be a hostage to personal whims of any individual with his own agenda." On the allegation of NCP General Secretary D P Tripathi that the Congress had betrayed the NCP in Meghalaya, Dr Singhvi said there was no pre-poll or post-poll alliance between the Congress and the BJP. "If there is no such an alliance, where is the question of such a betrayal ?" He explained that the Congress formed its government as it emerged as the single largest party after the elections. But when the Congress realised that it would not get the support from some other parties, its chief minister had resigned.

"We asserted our rightful, legal and moral right to form government. When we could not muster support, we resigned in keeping with the highest traditions of democracy." UNI SH KK DB1843