Kolkata:
Describing the UPA-II as a "non-working" government, Samajwadi Party today said it was not supporting it but just "tolerating" it to keep parties like BJP at bay.
"The party is not supporting the UPA government, but tolerating it to stop right reactionary forces from capturing power at the Centre," SP spokesman Mohan Singh told reporters on the second day of the party's three-day National Council meeting here.
He alleged that UPA-II government had become "non-working" as it included "absentee ministers" like Mamata Banerjee and M K Alagiri.
Describing railway as the lifeline of the country, he said it should be looked after by a serious minister.
Asked to compare Banerjee with her predecessor, Lalu Prasad, the SP leader said the RJD chief was better as Railway minister.
He said that Alagiri did not attend Parliament session and was out of the country.
On the controversial remarks made by Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh in China, he said the Prime Minister seemed to have no control over his ministers.
Singh said a peculiar situation has developed in the country where Manmohan Singh was presiding over the Union Cabinet while Congress President Sonia Gandhi was heading a "super-cabinet".
The spokesman dubbed as "imaginary" that his party had expressed readiness to join the UPA government in case UPA ally Trinamool Congress was dumped.
"We are not eager to join the UPA government, nor has there been any invitation to join," he said.
He said performance of the central government was dismal on the economic front and it failed to contain inflation and price rise of essential commodities.
He said the SP was not opposed to the Women's Reservation Bill and pointed out that it was first introduced by Deve Gowda government in which SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was Defence minister.
"Only our party's perception is different. If the bill is passed in its present form, women belonging to backward classes and Muslims would lag behind. We want 20 per cent reservation for them in government services and educational institutions as well as in distribution of tickets by all political parties," he added.
"The party is not supporting the UPA government, but tolerating it to stop right reactionary forces from capturing power at the Centre," SP spokesman Mohan Singh told reporters on the second day of the party's three-day National Council meeting here.
He alleged that UPA-II government had become "non-working" as it included "absentee ministers" like Mamata Banerjee and M K Alagiri.
Describing railway as the lifeline of the country, he said it should be looked after by a serious minister.
Asked to compare Banerjee with her predecessor, Lalu Prasad, the SP leader said the RJD chief was better as Railway minister.
He said that Alagiri did not attend Parliament session and was out of the country.
On the controversial remarks made by Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh in China, he said the Prime Minister seemed to have no control over his ministers.
Singh said a peculiar situation has developed in the country where Manmohan Singh was presiding over the Union Cabinet while Congress President Sonia Gandhi was heading a "super-cabinet".
The spokesman dubbed as "imaginary" that his party had expressed readiness to join the UPA government in case UPA ally Trinamool Congress was dumped.
"We are not eager to join the UPA government, nor has there been any invitation to join," he said.
He said performance of the central government was dismal on the economic front and it failed to contain inflation and price rise of essential commodities.
He said the SP was not opposed to the Women's Reservation Bill and pointed out that it was first introduced by Deve Gowda government in which SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was Defence minister.
"Only our party's perception is different. If the bill is passed in its present form, women belonging to backward classes and Muslims would lag behind. We want 20 per cent reservation for them in government services and educational institutions as well as in distribution of tickets by all political parties," he added.
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