India's BJP to protest against confidence vote win

Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:32am EDT

NEW DELHI, July 23 (Reuters) - India's main Hindu-nationalist opposition said on Wednesday it would stage street protests against an "immoral victory" of the ruling coalition in a confidence vote marred by charges of bribery.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it has also expelled eight lawmakers who voted for the government or abstained during the key vote.

"I must admit it has saddened me and outraged the party," said Lal Krishna Advani, the BJP chief, referring to the eight lawmakers.

While four lawmakers cross-voted in parliament, the rest were absent without any definite reason during the confidence vote.

"We will see that they are also disqualified in parliament," Advani told a news conference.

Tuesday's vote of confidence which the Indian government won was tainted by a bribery scandal, after opposition lawmakers interrupted a debate to wave wads of cash to protest against what they said were bribes offered by the government to abstain.

"The whole thing is so scandalous, it reeks of muck," Advani said.

From Thursday, hundreds of BJP workers will organise rallies and demonstrate in the streets to protest what they called was a "cash-for-vote scandal".

Cadres of the BJP would also undertake tours around the country to mobilise public opinion against the government, Advani added. (Reporting by Bappa Majumdar; Editing by Alistair Scrutton) (For the latest Reuters news on India see: in.reuters.com , for blogs see blogs.reuters.com/in/.)



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