PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh Friday came down strongly on the BJP for obstructing Parliament over the coal blocks allotment controversy,saying it was a total negation of democratic politics to not allow the party with majority to function. The stance of the main opposition party is a diversionary tactic meant to keep the government in a state of perpetual crisis,he said. We have been elected for a five year term. I sincerely hope that the BJP will respect the verdict of the people and let Parliament function, Singh told reporters on his way back from the NAM Summit in Tehran. In a parliamentary system it is the majority that rules. If the BJP thinks that the majority cannot be trusted to run the country and they would like to run it their way then that is a total negation of what democratic politics is all about. Singhs exasperation seemed to border on helplessness at times as he blamed the opposition for disrupting Parliament and making it difficult for government to function. One has just 24 hours and if one is preoccupied all the time handling these diversionary tactics,naturally this affects the capacity and ability of government to attend to its tasks, he said. Singh,however,indicated clearly that he did not intend to throw in the towel as he was not even contemplating quitting. Instead,he said it was still not late for the BJP to realise that there is too much at stake and stick to its obligations as the opposition. Our country has done well despite all these odds,but we cannot assume that we can continue to make a mess of all the processes of governance and yet the country will continue to grow. Let us concentrate on essential tasks and wait till the next elections to test the fortunes of various political fronts, he said. The PM said he did not want to enter into a tu-tu main-main or a slanging match with political leaders because he has to maintain the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister. But he was candid enough to say that the lack of cohesion in domestic politics has impeded economic growth. We would have liked to have laid the foundations of a 9 per cent growth rate. International events have not helped,but also the lack of cohesion in domestic politics is a factor, Singh said. He gave the example of the Goods and Services Tax that,if implemented,would have increased GDP by 1-2 per cent,streamline taxation and minimise evasion. Even as he hoped for well-meaning leaders in all political parties to realise that what is happening in Parliament is not bringing credit to anyone,Singh repeatedly gave voice to the sense of despair that has clouded his second term. We would have liked the opposition to have given us a chance to work,but unfortunately we go from one crisis to another, he said. While the crisis in Parliament keeps him worried the most these days,Singh identified the situation in Assam and its effects elsewhere as his long-term concern. When I look at what is happening in Assam the way peace has been affected,it certainly causes me worry. Similarly,that thousands and thousands of people in different parts of the country,especially in the deep south had chosen to go back to the Northeast because they felt insecure for some reason,is not good for promotion of national unity in the country. The growth of communal tensions in the country is an area where right thinking people should work together, he said.
