UPA Government under no Threat: Lalu

Patna: July 8, 2008

The Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav, at a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, downplayed the withdrawal of support by the left parties saying it would have no impact on the UPA government but the leftist leaders would end up paying heavy price at the ballot box in the next Parliamentary elections.

"We knew this was coming so there is no surprise here. However, it only goes to show that the left parties are in tank with the communal Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and will face the same fate as the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls," Yadav predicted.

The RJD leader also expressed his confidence in prevailing in the vote of confidence tentatively scheduled for July 20 or July 21.

"We will prevail in the trust vote, the Lok Sabha elections will be held on time, and the UPA will once again form the government," Yadav said.

Taking a shot at the presumptive NDA candidate for the Prime Minister's post L. K. Advani, the Railway Minister said the BJP leader was itching to occupy the highest position in the nation but that dream of his would never come true as 'people of India would never vote for the leader of a communal party'.

Yadav further dismissed the suggestion that by signing the nuclear agreement with the United States of America, India was somehow giving in to the USA.

"George Bush is anyway a lame duck President but we should not shy away from holding talks with other nations if that is in the interest of India," Yadav said.