Mulayam signals beginning of third front

In what is seen as the beginning of the third front for 2014 elections, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday led a dharna of Samajwadi Party (SP), the Left and the Telugu Desam Party at the main gate of the Parliament House to protest the stalling of the proceedings in both the Houses and demanded a probe into the coal-scam by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.  

The six-party front comprising SP, CPM, CPI, Forward Block, RSP and TDP,  which have come up to target both the BJP and the Congress,  declared that the joint front against the scam will continue and they will hold an  intense campaign to expose it.  

“All the parties have jointly decided to expose coal-scam. We will go to (every) city and village to do that. We demand probe into the coal-scam by a sitting judge of the Supreme
Court,” the SP supremo said.

CPM leader Basudev Acharia termed it as the beginning of the joint front against scams.
He accused both BJP and the Congress of being in hand in glove.

“They do not want Parliament to run. We want discussion so that guilty should be punished. The allocations of coal-blocks should be cancelled because it has been done in a wrong way,” said the CPM leader.  

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta and D Raja criticized the Prime Minister for his comments against the CAG.

 "CAG is a constitutional body and is like a watchdog. Its main job is to see that weather Government's money is being invested or not. What prime minister had commented on CAG is absolutely wrong. He is not authorized to comment like this," said Dasgupta.

TDP leader Nama Nageshwar Rao also bracketed the BJP with the Congress,
Meanwhile, Targeting Mulayam Singh Yadav, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, “Political parties that are saving the Congress – led government on various issues should not get theatrical about being an Opposition party on coal controversy.”

“If these parties are serious about opposing government than they should go to President of India and take back the letter of their support for UPA government,” he added.