Govt has no moral right to continue, says BJP

Vowing to "expose" the government on the Lok Pal Bill issue, the BJP today demanded that it should quit and hold fresh elections as it had "lost" majority in both Houses of Parliament.

"The government has lost a majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.... This government should quit and hold fresh elections," BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said, a day after the Rajya Sabha failed to pass the Lok Pal Bill.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "the BJP core group would be meeting later today to decide what it will do on the road [on the Lok Pal issue]. We will expose the government on the road and make the public aware in the wake of yesterday's developments. We will take up this Bill in the next session and expose the government there also."

Jaitley said, "The government has lost its political equilibrium. The balance of this government has also been disturbed."

Terming yesterday's events as unfortunate, Jaitley said, "This was an act of political suicide with respect to the government's own credibility.

"A government which runs away from voting, has no political or moral right to stay in power."

Swaraj, on the other hand, said, "It is a defeat of an arrogant government.... It should do some introspection.... The government wants to dump the Bill."