The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, December 11, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

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NDA backs Vajpayee
Meeting skirts remark on temple
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 10 — The Supreme Court’s order on the Ayodhya issue would be implemented by the NDA government and the Prime Minister’s statement on the temple issue had been quoted out of context — these declarations appeared to have pacified the NDA allies, who met here today at the residence of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and extended “full support” to his leadership.

The NDA convener, Mr George Fernandes, told newspersons after the two-hour-long meeting this evening that Mr Vajpayee had never stated that the apex court’s order would be violated and the Prime Minister’s statement had been quoted out of context.

Stating that the allies expressed “full support” to Mr Vajpayee’s leadership, the NDA convener said, “Prime Minister has never deviated from the national agenda for governance of the NDA by his word or deed.”

The NDA allies also endorsed Mr Vajpayee’s statement that there was no reason for three chargesheeted Central ministers — Mr L. K. Advani, Mr Murli Manohar Joshi and Ms Uma Bharati — to resign “from their ministerial positions on an issue that has no bearing on their constitutional duties.”

The meeting was convened amidst increasing criticism from NDA allies, apart from the Opposition parties seeking clarification from the Prime Minister on his statement that Ram Temple was an “unfinished task” and that it represented national sentiment.

The meeting, however, did not take notice of the Prime Minister’s recent statements. The meeting was called to discuss the stalling of Parliament proceedings by the Opposition in the past week.

Mr Fernandes said, “Our concern is not that the Prime Minister had made certain observations on the temple issue.”

Asked to explain the necessity of calling the meeting, Mr Fernandes said he had received requests from many NDA allies to call a meeting to reply to the Opposition propaganda that the government had a hidden agenda. There was no such agenda, he added.

A unanimous resolution adopted at the meeting said, “The NDA government is duty-bound to accept and implement the decision of the Supreme Court, which is at present seized with the matter.... the status quo must be maintained until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.”

“We believe that all parties to the dispute and every political party in the country whose constitution in its preamble/aims and objects commits it to uphold the Constitution of India, must accept the verdict of the Supreme Court,” over the title of the disputed land in Ayodhya, the resolution said.

The resolution said the national agenda, which was unanimously adopted by all constituents of the NDA, had consciously left out all issues of contentious nature to create an atmosphere for dialogue and consensus on such issues and promote harmony between all communities.

Mr Fernandes said the Prime Minister had expressed his anguish at what happened in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, by saying in Parliament and outside that it was most unfortunate. “It is a view that is held by all parties of the NDA,” he added.

Those who attended the meeting included the SAD chief and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the Indian National Lok Dal head and Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Trinamool Congress president, Ms Mamata Banerjee, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Janshakti, Mr Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (united), Mr T R Baalu of the DMK, Mr Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference, the BJP president, Mr Bangaru Laxman, and the Union Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh.

The Lok Sabha Speaker has convened an all-party meeting tomorrow morning, in a last-minute effort to break the deadlock just before the House meets.

Upset allies of the BJP like the Trinamool Congress, DMK, TDP and INLD have openly flayed the Prime Minister’s remarks. These allies have been joined by the Samata Party and JD(U) in seeking a clarification from him.

The TDP leader in Parliament, Mr Yerran Naidu, said if there was any deviation from the NDA agenda, “we will express our views frankly.”

The TDP, which has 29 MPs, did not attend the meeting convened by the Prime Minister, saying it was not part of the government and had not attended such meetings in the past.

Another key ally from the South, the DMK, criticising Mr Vajpayee’s statement, said raising a fresh issue that did not figure in the secular NDA agenda was unacceptable to it.

Mr Vajpayee, who is in the eye of the storm, remained silent on the issue over the weekend, saying he would speak only in Parliament and that the government was ready for a discussion.