Seeing a "new beginning" in the Government-Opposition relationship after a bitterly-fought elections, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today favoured bipartisanship on issues of national interest and sought to reach out to non-UPA states promising not not to discriminate against them.
In his first speech in both the Houses of Parliament after the UPA coalition got a decisive majority, he said the mandate was for stability and continuity and the ruling side has accepted it with humility.
"There is no no scope for bragging," he said in his 45-minute long reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address to the joint session in which he noted that the "underlying sense of unity" in the speeches of Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and other leaders including Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad.
The motion was adopted by a voice vote in both the Houses after rejection of Opposition amendments.
In keeping with the mood, the Prime Minister did not not touch on the contentious women's reservation bill that has been stiffly opposed by parties like SP, RJD and JD(U), public sector disinvestment over which key allies DMK and Trinamool Congress have expressed reservations or Advani's demand for an Inquiry Commission on the Mumbai terror attacks.
Singh also utilised the opportunity to send a message of "zero tolerance" against terror to Pakistan while promising to meet "more than half way" if its leadership takes "strong and effective" steps to prevent terrorism directed against India.
