UPA survives by corporate compromises: RSS

New Delhi, Jul 26 (UNI) Terming the dramatic display of wads of currency by BJP MPs during the confidence vote in the Lok Sabha on July 22 as 'shameful', the RSS has said corporate compromises and doling out Cabinet berths are the reasons for managing 24 members from the Opposition parties to ensure the victory of the UPA.

The latest editorial of the RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser', said the government had manoeuvred its victory with the help of 'thick skinned turncoats' who all qualified for disqualification of their membership by defying their party whips.

This included eight MPs from the BJP, two from Janata Dal(U) and one each from Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, BJD and JD(S).

The RSS said how could the image conscious Prime Minister Manmohan Singh manage to win over the loyalties of 24 members from other parties? His admirers claimed that it was not because of the dirty work carried by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, SP General Secretary Amar Singh and Congress leader Ahmad Patel, it added.

Many people can't believe this claim because corporate compromises and Cabinet berths were offered only at the top level.

JMM leader Shibu Soren revealed after his meeting that he was assured of Cabinet berth with the Coal Ministry and a Minister of State and Deputy Chief Minister's post in Jharkhand, it alleged.

The RSS said the CBI which is directly working under the PMO had allegedly intimidated, cajoled and coaxed a few BSP members to support or abstain from voting. The issue was investigated by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. The Government could have been voted out if all the NDA members had obeyed their party whips.

Regarding the bundles of currencies tabled by three BJP MPs offered to switch over to the other side, the editorial said Leader of Opposition L K Advani described it as 'more scandalous' than Bofors. The PM pooh-poohed the allegations of horse trading and demanded proof but when proof was presented, the Congress alleged that it was 'stage managed'.

The UPA with this victory had only postponed the elections by 100 days more but was such duplicitous villainy worth it? the paper asked.

India has a tradition where the Prime Ministers had demitted their offices at the whiff of distrust, be it Morarji Desai, Choudhary Charan Singh, V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujral or Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

There is nothing the UPA can crow about the 'bogus vote'. It needs tremendous insensitivity to democratic values for a government to survive in this way, the paper noted.

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