The UPA-2 on Wednesday night tried to dispel the shadow of scams and controversies with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attempting to paint a rosy picture and Congress president Sonia Gandhi striking a combative note, taking the Opposition head on. She also sought to end speculation about a rift between the party and the Prime Minister.
Replying to Opposition charges about corruption and scams, Mrs Gandhi declared: “We have nothing to hide, nothing to be defensive about.” Also, in an attempt to end all speculation about a rift between the party and the government, she said: “We all stand by the Prime Minister.” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi echoed similar sentiments, saying there were “no differences”.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who gives the UPA-2 crucial outside support, chose to stay away from its celebrations of four years in power.
Aware that corruption could be the Opposition’s main electoral plank, the UPA-2’s “Report to the People” released by Dr Singh clearly indicated that the government was set to bank on reforms for the 2014 general election.
While the Prime Minister talked economics, reforms, growth and welfare schemes, it was Mrs Gandhi who virtually sounded the poll bugle against the Opposition. She began her attack by accusing the Opposition of disrupting Parliament and refusing to respond to the government’s repeated assurances of debate and discussion on the floor of the House. Claiming that the government was “transparent” and “uncompromising” on corruption, Mrs Gandhi launched a frontal attack on the Opposition by terming its charges as “innuendos,” “lies” and “misinformation”.
There was also a concerted effort by both the Prime Minister and Mrs Gandhi to dispel speculation of a rift. Mrs Gandhi said there were “no differences” and there “is a collective leadership”. She said the Prime Minister had been “fulfilling his responsibility with great dignity and in the face of unrelenting hostility and abuse from the Opposition”. Then she added: “We respect him and we all stand by him.” Earlier, releasing the report, the PM said Mrs Gandhi had been a “great source of inspiration” for him.
While the Samajwadi chief, who is reportedly exploring options for a third alternative, stayed away, the Bahujan Samaj Party, which too lends the UPA outside support, sent its representatives to attend the dinner. The BSP’s Satish Chandra Mishra and Brajesh Pathak did not attend the report card presentation but came in time for dinner.
Downplaying the SP’s absence, minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla said the absence of any party at the function did not mean that it was not supporting the UPA.
Those seated at the table with Mrs Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and the BSP leaders. Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh also attended the celebrations.
Mrs Gandhi, who attacked the Opposition for disrupting Parliament, also appealed to them to cooperate with the government now to pass the bills on food security and land acquisition in the interests of the people.