Sonia Gandhi loses cool as Advani says UPA govt is illegitimate, then withdraws

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 8, 2012 : UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today lost her cool  in Lok Sabha, when senior BJP leader L K Advani described the UPA rule as an ’illegitimate’ government.

While moving an adjournement motion on the communal violence in Assam, Advani mentioned the 2008 cash-for-vote scam in which BJP MPs placed wads of curreny notes amounting to Rs 1 crore inside the Lok Sabha, saying the ruling party tried to buy their support.

Advani  said, the government should now go to the people because the UPA 2 government was illegitimate.

A furious Sonia Gandhi opposed this remark, and egged on her MPs to "shout, shout".  Almost the entire ruling party members were on their toes and demanded that Advani withdraw his remark. Even ministers like Kapil Sibal and Pawan Kumar Bansal were on their toes and added to the din.

Sonia Gandhi, in a loud vocie, told Advani to withdraw his remark which was not in good taste.

Leader of the House Sushilkumar Shinde said, Advani was a senior leader and his remark about the government being illegitimate was an insult for all members of the House. He also demanded Advani should withdraw his remark.

All through this uproar, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh sat quietly, and looked glum.

Advani then rose, amidst the uproar to say, the whistleblowers of the 2008 cash-for-vote scam had to go to jail. 

As the uproar  from ruling party members continued, Advani clarified that he was not referring to the 2009 elections in which the UPA 2 government came to power, but to the non-functioning of the present government.

Advani again clarified that his remark was in the context of the 2008  cash-for-vote scam.

An indignant Sonia Gandhi asked her party members to press for the demand for withdrawal of the word ’illegitimate’.

The Speaker Meira Kumar requested Advani to withdraw his words, after which the senior BJP leader withdrew his remark.  When the uproar continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Outside the Lok Sabha, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi told the media that Advani was a senior leader, and he would not like to react to his remark.

Courtesy : Deccan herald