Thaw in UPA-NDA ice but the chill remains

Drawing the curtains, at least for now, on a long drama of protests and boycotts in Parliament, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today...

Drawing the curtains, at least for now, on a long drama of protests and boycotts in Parliament, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today sent the list of its nominees for the Standing Committees of Parliament to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The icebreaker was a give-and-take formula under which both sides decided that the remarks of the BJP leader V K Malhotra asking the Speaker not to give “sermons” would be removed from the records. And so would Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement against the Opposition, made in response to Malhotra’s remark.

The day-long negotiations began with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Leader of the Opposition L K Advani meeting over breakfast at 8.30 am where the formula was first proposed.

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Until midday, sources said, the boycott issue was stuck because of a difference of opinion between Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukherjee with the latter insisting that no MP should be allowed to get away with making off-the-cuff remarks against the Speaker. It could only be resolved after Chatterjee said that if he had no problem pardoning Malhotra, the ruling party should not make it an issue.

After the breakfast meeting, Advani met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who assured him that his government was not taking a ‘‘confrontationist’’ approach towards the NDA. This meeting was attended by Azad, Mukherjee and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

Later, coming out of a meeting of the NDA, Advani said: ‘‘The NDA has agreed to end the stalemate and join the committees from tomorrow or whenever they meet.’’

Reciprocating the gesture, Azad said: ‘‘The decision for withdrawal of the remarks by V K Malhotra and Pranab Mukherjee (against the Speaker and the Opposition respectively, made on July 23) will be taken as per the procedure of the House.’’

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But the NDA’s decision to call off the boycott may not be a case of all’s well that ends well, Advani indicated this evening stressing that the issue of “tainted ministers” will continue to be taken up in a big way. The Prime Minister’s Babri Masjid reminder during his Bangkok visit appears to have added fuel to the fire. In a clear reference to Advani, Joshi and Uma Bharti (without naming them), the Prime Minister had said: ‘‘If you lead a large mob of people and try to get away, it is not a political crime. If you incite a mob and and this results in the death of hundreds of people and say it is not a political crime, it is a sad reflection on the state of Indian politics.’’