"The UPA-II is illegitimate. It has never happened inthe history of India ... crores ofrupees were never spent to get votes," Advani said, provoking the treasurybenches during a debate on an adjournment motion he had moved on the recentviolence in Assam.
The Congress President and UPA chairperson displayed someunusual aggression in the Lok Sabha when she made clear that she would not countenanceAdvani's description of the government and egged on members of the treasurybenches to demand its withdrawal.
The House was locked in uproar as BJP members launched acounter attack but Gandhi had one simple demand. "Withdraw, withdraw oneword, withdraw," she said signalling the whole matter could be resolved.
The noisy scenes were witnessed when Advani, who was allowedto move his adjournment motion on the Assam violence, courted trouble in hisspeech when he said "I consider UP II is illegitimate".
Gandhi's protest and her message to the ministers and theLeader of the House Sushil Kumar Shinde was enough signal for the Congress andother UPA MPs to rise to their feet demanding withdrawal of the word.
Advani's attempt to convince the House that he was not notreferring to the government after the 2009 elections but to the 2008 confidencevote in the House on the nuclear deal issue for which "crores of rupeeswere spent" to save the government.
This did not cut ice with the Congress and UPA members whodemanded that the BJP veteran withdraw the remarks.
As an angry Gandhi was demanded its withdrawal, Leader ofLok Sabha and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde appealed to him to withdraw theword.
"Advani is a senior leader. We all respect him. Buttoday he has said the entire (2009) election was illegitimate. This is aninsult for all of us. I think he should withdraw his words," Shinde saidin his first intervention as the Leader of the House.
The Speaker also reminded Advani that she had allowedadjournment motion as people were concerned about the situation in Assam.
"But one word used by you has hurt the sentiments ofeveryone. If you want, you can withdraw it."
Advani admitted that he made a mistake by speaking aboutUPA-II and what he actually intended to say was the 2008 vote of confidencesecured during the UPA-I.
"My comments were on the confidence vote and not onelection. ... Those who were whistle-blowers were sent to jail," he said,"I withdraw the word illegitimate."
With the din continuing, the Speaker adjourned the House forlunch. When the House reassembled after lunch, the Speaker observed that Advanihas withdrawn those remarks and they would not form part of the records.
