Advani calls for House meet for confidence vote

Advani said the government had lost its numerical majority as well as its moral authority to rule following the "two bitter enemies, the Congress and the SP, coming together for the sake of expediency." He said if the government refused to call a special session of the House, the BJP would approach President Pratibha Patil and demand that she call for such a session.

"Events in the last week or so have reduced the government to a charade. A little while before there were talks of changing the prime minister and elections coming up and now we see bitter enemies come together," he said.

The party said events in the last few weeks, including in Jammu and Kashmir, had demonstrated the two ways in which the Congress deals its coalition partners.

"In Jammu and Kashmir, the government meekly capitulated on the Amaranth issue, whereas at the Centre, the government appears open to try any avenue to keep itself afloat. It says a lot about the Congress' idea of secularism and governance," said Advani.

The differences between the UPA government and its Left allies over the nuclear deal, according to Advani, have paralysed governance for the last 18 months.

"When we are faced with challenges like spiralling inflation and threats to internal security, this paralysis of the government is an injustice to the people," he said. Advani likened the change in the UPA allies as a "leg surgery."

"It brings to mind the events of 1997, when Deve Gowda was replaced by IK Gujral in the United Front government. That was like the legend of Ganesha, whose head was replaced by an elephant's head. Here, it is like replacement of the legs of the government," he said.