Lok Sabha members made a strong pitch on Tuesday for a unanimous resolution condemning the air strikes on Libya by the allied forces, while the government said it had expressed unhappiness at the action.
Raising the issue, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh suggested that the House pass a unanimous resolution. Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party supported the proposition.
Supporting the Libyans striving for democracy in the oil-rich nation, Mr Singh said: “The Lok Sabha has to condemn the attack on Libya. Innocent civilians have been killed and Parliament cannot keep quiet.''
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Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) said the House should condemn the brutal attack on Libya.
He recalled that the Lok Sabha had deplored the aggression against Iraq by the U.S.
Mr. Acharia, along with Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), appreciated the stand taken by the government on Libya, but felt it was not enough.
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“It's war for oil”
“In the name of unseating Qadhafi, thousands of innocent Libyans are being killed in the 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.”
Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said the government had expressed its unhappiness at the bombings. “Nobody, no two or three countries, can take a decision to change a particular regime in a third country. Whether a regime will change or not will depend on the people of that particular country, not by any external forces.”
National Democratic Alliance convener Sharad Yadav termed the attacks on Libya a serious matter and wanted India to take a strong position.
Yashwant Sinha (BJP) supported a unanimous resolution condemning the external 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,” he said, while 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.