Opposition to launch nation-wide campaign against UPA govt

Wednesday 23 July, 2008: Undeterred by their defeat in Parliament, leaders of ten parties, including the Left and BSP, announced launching of a nation-wide campaign against Indo-US nuclear deal, price rise and agrarian crisis and decided to provide an anti-Congress, anti-BJP alternative.

"The UPA government may have won the vote in Lok Sabha yesterday, but has lost the trust of the nation due to the immoral manner in which it engineered its win," BSP supremo Mayawati told a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday after leaders of these parties worked out a fresh political realignment.

She said the way in which the UPA garnered votes for victory shows that democracy has been "defeated and murdered".

Announcing a nation-wide joint campaign, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said that though the government has won the confidence motion, it has "lost the trust of the nation".

Besides Mayawati and Karat, top leaders of TDP, CPI, Forward Bloc, RSP, JD(S), RLD, INLD and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) were present at the breakfast meeting at the BSP chief's residence.

It was also briefly attended by TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao.

"We will work together with BSP and other parties," Rao said before leaving for Hyderabad.

On whether a new front was born, Karat said it was not so as these parties got together to launch a joint campaign and work out future course of action on several issues.

These include campaign against communal forces and "gross misuse" of institutions like CBI for "political purposes", he said.

Karat said the Manmohan Singh government has lost all moral authority to remain in power because of the manner in which the victory was secured in Parliament.

Condemning the "murder of democracy", N Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) said it was a "national shame" that the government has stuck to power by indulging in horse-trading, manipulation, threat and blackmail".

"If you take into account the cross voting, the opposition has a clear majority," Naidu claimed.

Naidu asserted that the coming together of these parties showed that "we are the real alternative to Congress, UPA and NDA. We will be number one in the coming days".

In a similar statement, RLD leader Ajit Singh said "this will provide an alternative to UPA and NDA and create a real force in the country".

Speaking in Hindi, former Prime Minister and JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda assured full cooperation of his party to the joint campaign.

Asked who will lead the new group, Mayawati evaded a direct reply saying all were equal.

On whether AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa would be invited to join the group, Bardhan said the issue had not been discussed.

"We are proceeding step by step," he said.

The breakfast meeting at Mayawati's residence was also attended by A B Bardhan and D Raja (CPI), Debabrata Biswas (FB), T J Chandrachoodan and Abani Roy (RSP), K Yerrannaidu (TDP), Ajay Chautala (INLD), Babulal Marandi (JVM) and Sitaram Yechury ((CPI-M).

The meeting constituted a committee to conduct the nationwide campaign, the dates of which will be announced "very soon".

5 killed, 20 feared drowned in Bihar

Purnia, July 23, 2008: Five people were killed and 20 others feared drowned on Wednesday after an overcrowded country boat capsized in swollen river Kosi near Kanpghat village in Bihar's Purnia district.

Sub-divisional Officer of Dhamdaha R R Jha told PTI that the mishap took place when the overcrowded boat was caught in an whirlpool in the river and overturned.

He said five bodies have been fished out and ten people swam to safety.