Thaindian News

On Board Air India One, Sep 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday declared his full confidence in Home Minister P. Chidambaram - caught in a controversy over the 2G spectrum allocation - and lashed out at the opposition for “destabilising the polity” and getting “prematurely restless” to “force” early polls.

“As far as Chidambaram is concerned, I have said it that he continued to enjoy my full confidence when he was finance minister. And he continues to enjoy my full confidence as home minister that applies to him and that applies to Mukherjee,” Manmohan Singh said at a press conference aboard his special aircraft while returning from his visit to New York via Frankfurt.

The prime minister denied reports that there was rift in the cabinet as indicated by the note sent by the finance ministry -headed by Pranab Mukherjee - to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) saying that the 2G spectrum could have been auctioned if the then finance minister, Chidambaram, had acted in 2008.

“This rift that you talk about, I see reflected only in the media. I am not aware of any such rift. We are a cohesive government. We shall remain a cohesive government so let there be no confusion on that.. there is no dissention in the cabinet,” Manmohan Singh said.

“There is nothing like this as being written in media in the last few days about the differences between Mr. Chidambaram and Mr. Mukherjee,” he said.

He also declined to comment on the finance ministry note as the matter was sub-judice.

“One particular note you are talking about, I have read about that and this note is designed to set out a record that what took place. All these matters now are in the public domain they are being looked into by the courts. And therefore, it will not be appropriate for me to comment on what is good or what is bad in these notes. They are the property of the public, they are being discussed in the courts”.

He was referring to the Supreme Court hearing on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy’s plea to probe Chidambaram’s role in the 2G scam.

He vehemently attacked the opposition for trying to force an early general election. “It is not going to happen,” he said.

“I think the opposition is getting prematurely restless. I have said this in parliament that we have a mandate from people of India to govern and govern well and the opposition should wait for two-and-a-half years.”

“The opposition feels that they got hold of some of the weak points of our government, therefore by focussing attention on that they can force a early election. It’s not going to happen.”

He said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-II government will complete its full term. “This govt has mandate of five years. It will stay its course and that we will do things which when you look back may surprise the country.”

The prime minister also pointed out that in a cabinet, debates happen and there could be different perspective, but this does not contribute to divisiveness.

“…I suspect there are other forces which want to destabilise our polity,” he said when asked about the growing impression that the UPA-II government had lost the goodwill and momentum it had in its first incarnation.

Manmohan Singh also said the centre would seek West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s help in solving the Teesta water dispute with Bangaldesh.