Friday, May 6 2005 16:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Not taking kindly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's stinging attack, the Opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today (May 6, 2005) accused him of "insulting" it and charged that he did "not know" what was happening in his Government and did "not control" either the Government or the party.

The NDA, which held an impromptu meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, took a serious view of the Prime Minister's statement in the Rajya Sabha yesterday (May 5, 2005) saying that it had made it difficult for the Opposition alliance to cooperate with the Government.

The meeting also decided to continue the boycott of Parliament during the current session ending May 13.

"I am here to share the disappointment of the NDA at the tone, tenor and content" of the Prime Minister's statement, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh told reporters after the 45-minute meeting at Vajpayee's residence.

Singh alleged that the Prime Minister "does not know what is happening in this Government and does not control the Government and his party." However, he did not elaborate.

Referring to the PMO spokesman's comment that NDA was "childish", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that by following it up with yesterday's statement the Prime Minister had added "insult to existing injury. How can they expect us to cooperate in this situation."

On the Prime Minister's statement regarding the NDA charge in a memorandum to President A P J Abdul Kalam that Government had attempted to prevail upon Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on not meeting Vajpayee, he said that Manmohan Singh was off the mark.

The leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha said that the NDA memorandum submitted to Kalam had only said "it is reported" that there was an attempt to prevent Musharraf's meeting with Vajpayee and was not attributable to the Opposition alliance.

"Till yesterday, nobody rebutted or refuted or countered this report," the BJP leader said and termed the Prime Minister's remarks in this regard as "deeply offensive" and "not acceptable".

He charged the Government with showing "utter disregard" for the Opposition.

Another leader Sushma Swaraj said that the Prime Minister's statement reflected the Government's attitude that it did not want the Opposition and hence the NDA boycott will continue till the end of the Budget Session on May 13.

The meeting was attended by NDA Convenor George Fernandes, BJP President L K Advani and other senior BJP leaders.

Singh said that the NDA meeting also took "strong objection" to the "misuse" of Opposition's absence in Parliament to level all kinds of charges against its leaders.

On the issue of use of IAF helicopters by Justice S N Phukan to travel to Maharashtra, he termed it as an "artificial issue".

Swaraj said that the Prime Minister's statement made it clear that the Government did not need the Opposition and hence the NDA will continue its boycott till the Budget Session ends on May 13.

On Telugu Desam Party (TDP) delinking itself from the boycott, she said "it is not a part of NDA but still it has so far joined our boycott."

But now, the TDP wants to express Opposition in Parliament, she said.