2G storm: PM slams oppn, backs Chidambaram

Sep 27, 2011 |

Agencies

Onboard Air India One (PTI)

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said attempts were being made to 'destabilise polity' and accused the Opposition of getting 'prematurely restless' to 'force' early elections.

And responding to the recent '2G note' scandal, Singh said Home Minister P. Chidambaram enjoyed his full backing.

He also made it clear that his government will 'stay the course' and complete its full five year term.

"I have said this in Parliament that we have the mandate of the people to govern for five years and the Opposition should wait for two-and-a-half years.

"They have got some weak points of our government and think that (they) can force elections. This is not the way. This government has the mandate for five years. It will stay its course and we will do so," he said.

The Prime Minister added that 'once this happens, and if we look behind (after completing the term), we would have surprised (everyone)'.

He added that there was no dissension in his Cabinet in the context of the recent Finance Ministry note which suggested that P. Chidambaram as the then Finance Minister had not done enough to ensure auction of 2G spectrum.

"We are a cohesive government. We shall give cohesive governance. There is no room for dissensions in my Cabinet," Singh said.

Having said this, the Prime Minister said that in the Cabinet, there are always debates with 'an open mind'.

"The Ministers have a different perspective. That does not amount to lacking cohesiveness. It always helps in taking decisions. There is nothing of the sort that the media has been writing about for the last few days," he said about the reported differences between Mukherjee and Chidambaram.

Singh said it was simply not about this crisis (2G) and that there were other issues that the government has to manage, like controlling inflation and 'nothing should be done to weaken the fight'.

"Now as far as the approval of UPA-II is concerned, the issues the government is accused of indulging in - 2G or something else - the Opposition thinks, should have happened before elections," Singh said.

"I think it has failed. They lost the elections and till then we have had this assembly (elections). The Congress party has been successful," the Prime Minister said.

"Therefore, I suspect there are other forces which want to destabilise our country," Singh concluded.

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