Members of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday made a strong pitch for a unanimous resolution in the House condemning air strikes on Libya by the allied forces while the government said it had already expressed unhappiness over the action.
Raising the issue, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav suggested that the House should pass a unanimous resolution against the air strike by the US-led forces. The Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party supported the proposition.
Supporting the Libyans striving for democracy in the oil-rich nation, Mr Yadav said: ``The Lok Sabha has to condemn the attack on Libya. Innocent civilians have been killed and Parliament cannot keep quiet.’’
Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) said the House should condemn the brutal attack on Libya and recalled that the Lok Sabha had deplored the aggression of Iraq by the U.S. He, along with Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), appreciated the stand taken by the Government on Libya, but said it was not enough.
``In the name of unseating Col Qadhafi, thousands of innocent Libyans are being killed in the NATO bombings. Another Iraq and another Afghanistan is being created,’’ Mr Dasgupta said. We are against Qadhafi but do not believe in NATO bombings. It is a war for oil, he said.
Responding to the concerns expressed by members, Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said the government had already expressed its unhappiness over the intervention of allied countries against Libya.
"Nobody, no two or three countries can take a decision to change a particular regime in a third country," Mr. Mukherjee said. "Whether a regime will change or not will depend on the people of that particular country, not by any external forces," he said.
NDA Convenor Sharad Yadav termed the attacks on Libya as a serious matter and wanted India to take a strong position against it. Associating with the views expressed by the members, Mr. Yashwant Sinha (BJP) supported a unanimous resolution of the House condemning the aggression against Libya.
"We are extremely concerned about what is happening in Libya. We are completely with the democratic forces struggling against an authoritarian regime. We are against any military intervention to enforce regime change," Mr Sinha said calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Mehboob Beg (National Conference) appreciated the stand taken by the government and pitched for a middle path to provide relief to the Libyan people. ``America's coercive tactics have been increasing over the years," Sharifuddin Shariq (NC) said.
Ratan Singh Ajnala (SAD) and Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) said their parties associated with the views expressed by the members, while Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) said Parliament should not be a mute spectator.
Bandopadhyay (Trinamool Congress), Bhratruhari Mahtab (BJD), Nama Nageshwara Rao (TDP) said a strong message should be sent by the Lok Sabha against the action of the allied forces.
