SAD to take action against abstaining MP

Chandigarh, Jul 23 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) would take strong action against party MP Sukhdev Singh Libra who abstained during the Confidence Vote in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

''The matter would be dealt with as per the party constitution and as per the law of the land,'' Mr Badal said while talking to reporters here.

Asked as to what could have triggered the betrayal by the SAD MP, Mr Badal rubbed his thumb with the fingers--a gesture used to convey the exchange of money.

Regarding the victory of the UPA government in the trust vote, he alleged that the government had won with the power of money.

''The UPA won but Democracy lost. The vote of trust for the government has come at the expense of trust among the people in our Parliamentary system,'' he said.

The Chief Minister said that if the ruling alliance had not subverted the Confidence Vote through corrupt practices and horse trading, the UPA would have lost.

He referred to ''shameful scenes of display of naked money power'' and said that this had confirmed the worst suspicion of the people about the moral degeneration of our political system.

''This was the worst hour in the history of the nation and Indians all over the world had to hang their heads in shame,'' said Mr Badal.

The chief minister added said the country now looked up to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to conduct a ''full and fair inquiry'' into the matter to expose the guilty and restore the faith of the people in the political system.

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