All is well with UPA, Congress ministers say

New Delhi, March 20: Top Congress leaders held a press conference on Wednesday where they tried to portray that despite the pull-out by the DMK over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue on Tuesday, the government was not worried over its existence. The ministers, Kamal Nath, P Chidamabaram and Manish Tewari were seen in a relaxed mood and they said there was no threat to the government's stability.

The Union finance minister denied media reports that India had partnered the US to dilute the original text of the resolution against Sri Lanka. "India's position has always been for a stronger resolution against Sri Lanka that would goad it in to accepting an independent probe", he said.

He, however, said that certain amendments to the UNHRC resolution on the island-nation have been finalised and India's representative to Geneva has been asked to introduce them at a meeting at the UNHRC.

Chidambaram, alleged that the DMK changed its position between the night of March 18 and the morning of March 19. He said it was not clear why the DMK pulled out when talks were on.

Nath, the parliamentary affairs minister, said the government was talking with other parties on the formulation and passing of country-specific resolution on Sri lanka and said that the UPA government was not a lame duck one.

Stressing that the government was neither lame nor duck, Nath said the government had the required numbers and no party has so far challenged the government's majority.

The minister said the Congress was ready for any test of strength on the floor of the parliament.

Chidambaram said that the UPA has been running the government for nine years and in such a long period of coalition government, some hiccups are bound to happen. The minister asked the media not to speculate on the government's stand.

He also rubbished possibilities of weak economic performance since the government was weakened, saying the government had its hand firmly on the wheel. He said the government was carrying on its work on passing important bills like those on crime and food security, which did not signify that the UPA had become weak in the wake of the DMK's pull out.

He added that the markets nosedived on Tuesday because of Cyprus and the RBI rate cut and not because of the DMK's pull-out.

Information and broadcasting minister Tewari said the Congress always keeps its eyes on the national interests.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had earlier said that secular parties like the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party would back the UPA.

OneIndia News