It was the Shiv Sena that took the BJP to task on the issue. Its leader Anant Geete told The Indian Express: “National security is above everything else. There should be no politics on terrorism. There was no discussion on this issue in the NDA meeting.”

Sushma, however, stood by her statement. “This was not part of the NDA briefing. This was my personal remark and I stand by it,” she told this paper.

Earlier in the day, too, the BJP was over-ruled by its allies on the twin proposals of “a no-trust motion against the government” and “mass resignations from the Lok Sabha”. When the main opposition party mooted the idea of a no-trust motion, the allies were far from convinced. “What’s the logic in the move, when our MPs, who voted along with the UPA during the July 22 trust vote, continue to be members of the House?” asked the leader of an NDA constituent.

“The BJP’s suggestion lacked conviction. The allies overwhelmingly voted the suggestion out,” added another leader. The meeting, however, agreed that the NDA should block any new bill in the House as the government’s “trust vote was sullied by the ‘cash-for-votes scandal’.”

“Let the government check its majority in every bill they introduce. After all the cash they paid was for the trust vote and the UPA hence may not have the support of the members who voted in their favour in the confidence motion,” Swaraj later said.

The issue of “mass resignations from the House”, too, was vetoed by the allies. With BSP MPs toying with quitting the House en masse to preempt any CBI action against its leader Mayawati, the BJP doesn’t want to come across as an also-ran in its opposition to the UPA, a reason why the issue figured prominently in the meeting.

... contd.