M A I N   N E W S

BJP Executive cautions govt
Welcomes peace initiative
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 5 — Reminding Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee of the bitter lesson of his historic bus yatra to Lahore in February, 1999, and the subsequent Kargil war, the two-day session of the Naitonal Executive of the BJP cautioned the government asking it not to “let down its guard against such organisations that continue to enjoy the patronage of the present regime in Islamabad”.

Welcoming the Vajpayee government’s peace initiative on Jammu and Kashmir, the resolution passed at the session which concluded today “drew attention to certain realities that cannot be wished away”.

Delivering the valedictory address, the Prime Minister today charged the Opposition with raising “frivolous” issues and stalling Parliament having failed in its efforts to divide the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by bringing up the Ayodhya issue.

“Whatever I had said (on Ayodhya), I had thought over it and said,” he added, apparently referring to his controversial remarks on the issue last month.

“Mr Vajpayee, who spoke extensively on the agricultural issues, said it was paradoxical that while on the one hand there were surplus foodgrains in the country, on the other there was drought and hunger, the party Vice-President, Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthi, told newspersons. The Prime Minister asserted that the Opposition had failed to drive a wedge within the NDA ranks which had withstood the “Opposition onslaught”. It was “unfortunate” that the Opposition was unable to come together on any issue, Mr Krishnamurthi said.

Mr Vajpayee said the NDA government was interested in protecting the interests of farmers and was working towards finding a solution to their problems, including giving them better remunerative price for their produce.

He emphasised the need for involving non-governmental organisations in evolving a system whereby various schemes undertaken by the government were propagated properly since the government machinery alone was not enough.

Earlier, the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, said India was not a “soft state” and its tackling of Pakistan’s “proxy war” had exposed Islamabad internationally as aiding and abetting terrorism in India.

“Pakistan having lost two wars in 1965 and 1971 is now waging a proxy war” and had been exposed in the bomb blasts in churches in India, he said.

“Detailing the various aspects of the government’s handling of the internal security issue, Mr Advani said the government was willing to talk to all persons concerned with terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr Krishnamurthy said. Mr Advani said the problems in the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir had been inherited and not arisen suddenly. With specific reference to the North-East, he said demographic changes in the region had begun decades ago with political parties considering these as their vote banks.