A rare show of oppn unity

New Delhi: A day after former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi appealed for unity among the opposition parties to face the ruling party on the issues of national importance both inside and outside the Parliament, the ongoing Budget session had witnessed a rare unity among opposition parties in the floor of Rajya Sabha on Friday.

In the morning opposition leaders met to chalk out a common strategy to nail the government on various issues. In larger interest of unity, major parties like the Congress and the TMC agreed to drop their issues to accommodate Samajwardi Party's concern about the communal violence in UP's Kasganj.

The Congress party wanted to raise an issue related to economy and the TMC also wanted to raise about closure of eight railway lines in West Bengal. However, Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav had requested them to raise the issue of communal riot in Uttar Pradesh instead, which all parties eventually agreed. Thereafter, all opposition parties raised the issue during Zero Hour and forced the House to be adjourned till noon.

While speaking on the opposition parties' meet here on Thursday, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi indicated his party's possible electoral alliance in Uttar Pradesh with Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

Leaders present in that meeting hoped that in coming Lok Sabha polls there might be an electoral understanding with all three parties. Perhaps, that's the reason Congress party on Friday agreed to join with the Samajwadi Party in the Rajya Sabha sacrificing their own agenda.

Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi on Thursday invited leaders of all opposition parties except Aam Admi Party of which three MPs entered Rajya Sabha recently. On Friday, all opposition parties leaders requested them to show solidarity with the joint opposition move which they readily agreed. However, after the House resumed for Question Hour, members of the Aam Admi Party went into the well of the house to

protest against the ceiling of municipality areas by the NDMC.

By the time opposition leader Gulam Nabi Azad was speaking against arbitrary ceiling of shops in Delhi indicating a larger message of opposition unity including AAP.

In fact, during the opposition parties meet on Friday former Congress chief gave a clarion call for a broader opposition unity keeping aside political difference among them.

TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien started his speech by congratulating Congress parties for clean sweep in three seats of Rajasthan bye-poll. Immediately, Gandhi also intervened and congratulated West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee for winning a bye-poll of Uluberisa Lok Sabha seat with a record margin where Congress party lost deposit.

In the meeting of the opposition parties former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh presented his views on the budget presented by Finance Minister, which he said that Thursday's budget could be termed as 'Indiscipline Budget' in term of fiscal discipline. Many of the leaders took note of the point given by the former Prime Minister who is known to be an accomplished economist in the country.