NEW DELHI, March 20 � Outside supporters SP and BSP and UPA constituent Trinamool Congress again came to the rescue of the Government today to defeat Opposition-sponsored amendments on NCTC in Rajya Sabha, providing relief to the harried coalition for the second successive day, reports PTI.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh�s assurance that the next step on the anti-terror body National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) would be taken only after full consultations with the states failed to pacify the BJP and the Left parties which insisted on a division on their amendments.
Like in the Lok Sabha yesterday three members of Trinamool Congress, which has ministers in the government and has moved amendments on the issue of setting up an anti-terror body, left the House before voting on a division in which the amendments moved by BJP and Left parties were defeated 105 to 83 votes.
The ruling coalition, which has 97 members in a House of 245, got extra votes from the 18 member BSP which voted with the government today unlike the walk out in Lok Sabha yesterday. However, five members of Samajwadi Party, which voted with the government yesterday, again voted against the amendments today.
Adoption of the Opposition amendments would have been a major embarrassment to the government while a defeat in Lok Sabha would have triggered calls for resignation.
