Sibal downplays Cong-Trinamool rift, blames Oppn

Downplaying differences between Congress and its UPA partner Trinamool Congress, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today squarely blamed the Opposition for the Government's inability to get through the Lok Pal Bill and FDI.

Dismissing the recent sparring between Congress and Mamata Banerjee as "vicissitudes" of politics, Sibal stressed that a "clear mandate ultimately" is required if an element of certainty has to come to policy-making.

He told Karan Thapar on CNBC's "India Tonight" programme that Mamata's support to Lok Pal Bill would not have made a difference as the government did not have numbers in the Rajya Sabha and the Opposition decided to move the amendments only after realising it.

Asked about the Trinamool Congress supremo's role, he said, "even if she would have been on our side, we would not have been able to pass the bill."

On whether it was not the UPA ally that made the government roll back its decision on brining FDI in retail, Sibal replied in negative saying it was reversed as "Parliament became dysfunctional" for which he put the blame on the Opposition, including BJP.

He, however, said, "We are a coalition government. We do not have majority in Parliament. We have ideologies, which are disparate. We have to cobble up a government to give some direction to the nation. What we need is a clear mandate ultimately by the people of India to bring the element of certainty to policies and ideologies."

His remarks came when asked whether the Prime Minister has got the spirit to carry on amid the odds stacked against the government and with the resistance to the government's decisions coming not only from Opposition but also allies.