Friday, March 11 2005 19:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: NDA (National Democratic Alliance) legislature party leader Arjun Munda today (Mar 11, 2005) criticised the ruling UPA (United Progressive Alliance) for violating the Supreme Court's directives by not allowing the vote of confidence in the Jharkhand Assembly.

"There were six adjournments from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm. All were caused by UPA legislators to prevent the day's agenda from being placed in the House," Munda told reporters after pro-tem speaker Pradeep Kumar Balmachu adjourned the House till March 15, the original date for the vote of confidence.

"Worried about the 41 MLAs on our side, the minority UPA disrupted the house ignoring all democratic norms. The reality is they are short of numbers," the former Chief Minister said.

JDU (Janata Dal United) State president and former Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari questioned "if at all the UPA thought that the Supreme Court order was intervention of the judiciary in the legislature, why did it in the first place include the trust vote in the day's business?"

Namdhari said "the Supreme Court's directive to the pro-tem speaker to conduct the vote of confidence is law and it should be respected."

The pro tem speaker adjourned the house ruling that he supported Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee seeking a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court on its directive to the Jharkhand Assembly.