BJP joins issue with PM on coalition dharma comment

New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) Main opposition BJP today joinedissue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his "compulsionsof coalition dharma" comment, asking him to clarify what"helplessness" was there in appointing P J Thomas as CVC.

"What was the helplessness in appointment of CVC. Whatcoalition dharma was there in it? Government should rememberRaj Dharma. It has not taken oath to uphold coalition dharma,"BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

He asked Singh to explain to the nation the compulsionsin appointing Thomas as CVC.

"The Prime Minister should tell the country about theappointment of Thomas as CVC. There were three voters- PM,Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. Whydid the first two vote for Thomas," Hussain asked.

BJP alleged that the Prime Minister was justifyingcorruption in the name of coalition politics.

"The Prime Minister says, I am helpless. The helpless PMshould tell us why he said yesterday that he is allowingcorruption due to compulsions of coalition politics. Thecountry will never condone this," Hussain said.

The party alleged that though the PM himself nevercontests elections he "scares" others by often making amention of them.

"He says every six months we will have to go for polls.

He is not an astrologer....," Hussain said.

The BJP spokesperson maintained that Atal BihariVajpayee had sacrificed his 13-month-old government but didnot bow to corruption from coalition partners.