Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tiwari has ruled out early polls and categorically said that the UPA Government would complete its full term.
“People of the country have given the UPA a mandate for five years and we will complete our term,” Mr. Tiwari told reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress party headquarters here on Sunday.
The Union Minister, who was in the city to attend a function, visited the party headquarters to interact with the cadres and leaders.
A delegation of Telangana Congress Monitoring Committee comprising G. Niranjan, APCC spokesperson B. Kamalakar Rao and former PCC chief P. Narsa Reddy presented a memorandum urging the Centre to concede Telangana at the earliest.
Responding to media speculation and the reported remark by Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav asking his party men to be prepared for early elections, Mr. Tiwari said: “In 2004, the UPA was voted to power for five years and we fulfilled our mandate and commitment to the people.
We have great respect for our allies and always walked the extra mile to take them on board.”
Replying to questions on the hanging of Afzal Guru, the Union Minister said the Opposition parties’ statements particularly that of the BJP was unfortunate.
Mr. Tiwari faulted the BJP saying that the party that hosted terrorists and accompanied them to Kandahar needed to introspect before raising fingers at Governments led by others.
He reminded the other parties that UPA Government never shied away from taking tough decisions on matters concerning national security. On separate Telangana, he said the issue was sensitive and wanted people to observe patience.
