Thursday, May 12 2005 10:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convenor George Fernandes has said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had "no business" to remain in power if it could not ensure that Parliament ran smoothly.

"If it can't see that the House runs, it has no business to be there," he told Karan Thapar in an interview on BBC's 'Hard Talk India' programme.

Observing that it was "essentially the responsibility" of the Government to see that the House functions, Fernandes said, "If they wanted House to function, they could have."

The NDA Convenor said that he was prepared to share the blame, but added that at the same time the Government could not escape it as it was the responsibility of the Government to see that the House runs.

Admitting that the decision to boycott Parliament was "forced on us", he said, "We would not have liked to take the decision but for the simple reason that our being in Parliament was not liked by the ruling establishment."

Disagreeing that by boycotting Parliament, the Opposition had given the Government a free hand, Fernandes said it was not so as the Opposition was exposing the Government every day.

To a question regarding making Defence aircraft available to the Justice Phukan heading the Commission set up to probe the Tehelka expose, the former Defence Minister said a request came to him from the Commission and he had the authority to clear it.

He said that if he had not provided the aircraft, he could have been blamed for not cooperating with the probe panel.

On the NDA memorandum to the President accusing the UPA Government of trying to scuttle Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's meeting with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Fernandes said the Government had a responsibility of coming out with a clarification.

It was "irresponsible" on the part of the Government not to say the media report was inaccurate.