Opposition mocks Chidu’s ‘inept’ handling of Maoist menace

Despite visible divide within the Congress on home minister P Chidambaram’s handling of left-wing insurgency, the beleaguered UPA dispensation received support from the opposition in its fight against Naxals during the course of discussion on Dantewada massacre in parliament on Thursday.

The two Houses agreed to debate the issue, but not before a determined opposition forced a series of adjournments, demanding suspension of Question Hour.

Ultimately, the debate was held at 2 pm, but not before feverish activity was witnessed on the treasury benches with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi holding the command.

She was seen passing instructions to her party MPs in the face of opposition onslaught to expose the inner divide in the Congress following open criticism of Chidambaram’s working by AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.

Pivoting their attack on the article published in a national daily on Wednesday, written by Digvijay and an interview by Aiyer to a private channel questioning Chidamabram’s policies, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and senior Lok Sabha MP Yashwant Sinha set the cat among pigeons.

While offering wholehearted support of the BJP in fighting the Naxal menace, they wondered whether the home minister’s own party was backing him.

“What we do not need is a government which tries to pull down its own government,” Jaitley said. Similar views were expressed by Sinha in the Lower House.

Launching a personal attack on Chidambaram for tendering resignation at a crucial juncture, Jaitley said: “Generals do not walk out of the battle in the middle of the war.”

A beleaguered Chidambaram fought his way back while responding to series of charges levelled against him by various members who at times raised serious questions on the government’s anti-Naxal policies with particular reference to coordination with the state governments concerned.

“I do not fear the Naxalites and would continue to provide leadership to the home ministry and the paramilitary in fight against the insurgents,” he said while referring to rejection of his offer of resignation by prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In seeking to turn the tables on the opposition parties, he described the rejection of his resignation as reposing of confidence in him.

17 MPs take oath
Seventeen members, including new and re-elected ones, on Thursday took oath in Rajya Sabha which reassembled after a month-long break.

Defence minister AK Antony (Kerala), sports minister MS Gill (Punjab), and Silvius Condpan (Congress MP from Assam) were among the re-elected members who took oath. Nominated members who took oath included MS Aiyar and Javed Akhtar.