NDA to boycott Chidu

In a move to keep the 2G heat on the government and play on its internal fault lines, the National Democratic Alliance on Monday announced it would boycott home minister P Chidambaram in Parliament for his alleged role in allocation of telecom licences. With the Supreme Court considering a petition that Chidambaram be probed for going along with jailed former telecom minister A Raja in “under-pricing” 2G airwaves during UPA-1, the BJP-led NDA demanded that the minister resign immediately. NDA leaders who met at L K Advani’s residence ahead of Parliament meeting for the winter session on Tuesday decided that Chidambaram’s role—as finance minister in UPA-1—was under a cloud and he must quit to allow a fair investigation. The NDA will protest whenever the minister speaks in Parliament and not address questions to him. The opposition’s action is similar to the Congress’s boycott of JD (U) leader George Fernandes when he was reinstated as defence minister in the NDA regime after having had to resign following the Tehelka expose. The BJP’s strategy is also intended to get back at the government for what it feels are “tit-for-tat” cases registered by the CBI for allotment of spectrum when the NDA was in power. The party has alleged that the cases are intended to divert attention from its demand that Chidambaram quit over 2G. But while Fernandes withstood the Congress’s barracking, the NDA is clearly looking to provoke Chidambaram who may find himself under pressure to respond. The NDA tactic makes floor management even tougher for government managers tasked with ensuring passage of key anti-graft, reform and welfare bills.