M A I N   N E W S

BJP for devolution in Lanka

VIJAYAWADA, June 7 (PTI, UNI) — The BJP today said devolution of power was the only way to solve the present ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.

Party general secretary M. Venkaiah Naidu told newsmen here that the ethnic conflict could be solved within the framework of the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

Referring to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi’s statement that the Lankan crisis could be solved on the Czech model, Mr Naidu said ,”It is his opinion. He is a mature man. By expressing his opinion, he will not in any way destabilise the NDA government at the Centre”.

He said, “In a democracy everybody has got his own opinion. There is no question of anybody’s interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka”.

He expressed the confidence that none of the NDA constituents from Tamil Nadu would withdraw support to the Vajpayee government on the Sri Lankan issue.

The DMK, the Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) and other NDA constituents from that state were committed to the broad policy decision of the Vajpayee government that only devolution of power and ending of discrimination by the Sri Lankan Government would provide a lasting solution to the ethnic crisis and the solution had to be found within the framework of Sri Lanka’s unity and territorial integrity even while protecting the interest of ethnic minorities, he said.

Stating that the government was well aware that the crisis in Sri Lanka would have its impact on India also, Mr Naidu said the government was in constant touch with the Sri Lankan Government through diplomatic channels and the Norwegian mediator and was striving to impress upon it that “as long as this is not done (devolution of rights to Tamils) the problem will remain”.

On the economic scenario, he said the NDA government at the Centre had to take certain hard decisions to improve the country’s economic condition as it had inherited a “challenging economic scenario”.

“It is sad that the economic condition of the states and the Centre is not very healthy,” he said, adding some states were not even able to pay salaries of its staff.

Mr Naidu said his party would impress upon the Chief Minister to further reduce the power tariff as farmers and domestic users would find it difficult to pay. “We will raise the peoples’ issues and fight for it, but we will not destabilise the TDP government in Andhra Pradesh.”

Mr Chilakam Ramachandra Reddy, state BJP President, said the party had already submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister requesting him to keep in ‘abeyance’ the present power hike.

The membership drive in the state had evoked a satisfactory response and so far 17 lakh members were enrolled in the state, he added.