It was conscience vote, says SAD MP

Chandigarh, Jul 23 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) MP Sukhdev Singh Libra, who abstained during the Confidence Vote in Parliament yesterday, claimed today that his move was guided by his conscience and denied that he was bribed to vote in favour of the UPA government.

In a statement, the rebel SAD MP said he had abstained from the Confidence Vote because he believed that the nuclear deal would benefit the country.

He asserted that he had not violated the party whip as he had not voted in favour of the UPA, but just chose to be absent during the voting.

Mr Libra also said he had saved a Sikh Prime Minister by staying away from Parliament during the Trust Vote. ''When a Kashmiri Muslim (National Conference) leader Omar Abdullah can support a Sikh PM, why should I hesitate from doing so?'' Denying SAD chief Sukhbir Badal's allegation that he had accepted Rs 20 crore to abstain during the Confidence Vote, Mr Libra said that had he been a wheeler-dealer, he would have accepted bigger deals offered by the Badal family years ago.

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