Lalu Yadav asks Bardhan to prove horse-trading charges

New Delhi, July 19 : Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, today criticised Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A. B. Bardhan for suggesting that the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was buying MPs for Rs. 25 crore each.

After a meeting of the RJD Parliamentary Party here, Yadav told reporters that Bardhan should either prove his allegations or apologise.

"With his comments, Bardhan has defamed parliamentary democracy and his allegations are a conspiracy to destroy the very foundations of democracy," Lalu thundered.

On July 22, the Congress-led UPA Government will seek a confidence vote over the vexed Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

In the run-up to July 22, allegations and counter allegations are being hurled between the pro-deal and the anti-deal lobbies.

The government believes it has enough votes to avoid an early election after securing the backing of the Samajwadi Party (SP), but observers say that the trust vote could be a close call.

If the government loses, early elections will be called and the Indo-US civil nuclear deal with the United States, over which the Government's communist allies withdrew support, could be buried.

The government needs to reach the 271 mark in the 543 member Lower House of the Parliament to win the confidence vote.

ANI