By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party leader (BJP) L.K. Advani, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Friday called for a new beginning in government-opposition relations and said it was a possible to reach such a “common goal”.
“We (BJP) are in the opposition. Our number has been reduced to 116. But it is not a small number. Let it be a new beginning of government-opposition relations,” Advani said while participating in a debate on the president’s address to the joint session of parliament Thursday.
“Together we can see to it… whatever we have. These ambitions should be realised in the 21st century. That must be our common goal. It is quite possible to achieve this without difficulty,” he said Advani.
He also congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leader of the house Pranab Mukherjee for the United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) victory in the Lok Sabha polls.
“I would like to congratulate Manmohan Singh on being elected as the prime minister and also congratulate Sonia Gandhi and Pranab Mukherjee,” Advani said.
During the course of the election campaign Advani had launched a tirade against Manmohan Singh, slamming him as the “weakest” prime minister who had “devalued” the high office. He looked chastened now.
Advani was quick to add that the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) it leads would perform its duties as a responsible opposition.
“Let the government perform their duty. The opposition…my party and the NDA will do our duty,” he said.
Advani, who was the prime ministerial candidate of the NDA, said the people had given mandate for a stable government for good governance, development and security.
“Stability is for good governance. Stability is for development and stability is for security,” he said.