H D Deve Gowda last speech in parliament with emotional outbreak

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Thursday rejected claims of BJP leaders that a "grand alliance government" will create chaos and said the multi-party dispensation led by him had proved it can work well. Speaking in Lok Sabha during a debate on the motion of thanks to President's address, the 85-year-old JD(S) leader, who was visibly emotional, said he spent 57 years in public life in state politics as well at the national level and this was his last speech.

Recalling his days as the prime minister, Gowda, who led a coalition government for ten months between 1996-97, said he was not keen to occupy the chair since the issues involved in running a multi-party dispensation. He said his name came only after the then Prime Minister V P Singh and CPM leader and the then West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu declined to accept the post.

Listing out measures undertaken by his government in several areas, Gowda said after the World Bank declined to extend assistance for not following the norms, he decided to use the black money in the country for funding the programmes. In this regard, Gowda said he proposed a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme which was rejected by the then finance minister P Chidambaram.

"Don't unnecessarily talk against the grand alliance. Vajpayee started with the coalition. Coalition governments can work if there is an understanding. No one should air their differences outside," he said.