Tuesday, August 16 2005 11:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) today (Aug 16, 2005) decided to oppose any privilege motion against the writer and editor of a news daily for carrying an article with critical references to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

A meeting of NDA leaders, chaired by Leader of Opposition L K Advani, decided that it would oppose the motion for which notices have been given among others by Ramji Lal Suman (SP) and Hannan Mollah (CPM), if taken up, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Parliamentary spokesman, Vijay Kumar Malhotra told reporters in New Delhi. At their 40-minute long meeting, leaders of the Opposition alliance also decided to question the Government's decision to make public the anti-hijacking policy outside the Parliament, when both Houses were in session.

"It is a question of propriety and privilege", Malhotra said.

NDA leaders also decided to raise the issue of the Maoist attack in Andhra Pradesh yesterday (Aug 15, 2005) in which ten people including a Congress MLA were killed.

BJP leaders have opposed the privilege notice on the grounds that it involved the freedom of press. They also pointed out that the Editor of the daily concerned was a member of the Rajya Sabha.