NDA boycotts all-party meet

In line with its boycott of Parliament, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today did not attend the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to discuss the agenda for the day.

Despite requests by the Speaker to the NDA and a letter to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani to participate in the House proceedings especially debate on the Finance Bill, the boycott continued.

Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked the NDA to attend the House.

Chatterjee expressed unhappiness over the NDA's boycott of the all-party meeting to find a way out of the impasse following the Opposition decision not to attend the House for three days to vent its unhappiness over various issues.

Among those who attended the meeting included TDP leader K Yerrannaidu, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M). The TDP, however, kept out of the House.

Meanwhile, Advani today said the BJP-led NDA would decide on Monday whether to continue with its boycott of Parliament demanding dismissal of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.

"We will be meeting on Monday morning to decide on the issue," he told reporters on the sidelines of an award-distribution ceremony in Kozhikode.

Asked if the NDA would withdraw its protest to enable the House to pass the Finance Bill, Advani said "I cannot say anything on the matter now and it is for the NDA to take a collective decision."

Pointing out that the boycott did not confine to Lalu issue alone, he said it was also against the UPA government's "negative" attitude towards the Opposition on several other issues.

"Since day one of this government coming to power, its response to our demands has been poor," the former deputy prime minister said.

"The UPA government has also compromised on general probity, which every government is expected to maintain," he said.