M A I N   N E W S

Nirupam apologises to PM
Thackeray dares BJP to break ties
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam, who attacked the PMO in connection with the UTI muddle in the House, has tendered an unqualified apology to Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Though the apology helped clear some misunderstanding, relations between the two parties were still fragile as both sides reacted to the development with caution.

The apology was tendered at the behest of the Shiv Sena supremo, Mr Bal Thackeray, but it did not withdraw the charges on the role of the PMO in the UTI muddle.

Mr Nirupam said in his letter, written in Hindi, to the Prime Minister that “your sentiments have been hurt by my question. I tender an unqualified apology”.

The Shiv Sena member further clarified that he had only mentioned the telephone number of a former official of the PMO on which the former UTI Chairman had talked to him. “I only wanted to know whether it was related to Cyberspace scandal and if it was so, it should be probed. I am grateful that you yourself came to the House and announced a probe into it”, he added.

Mr Nirupam’s remark in Parliament last week had upset Mr Vajpayee so much that he had offered to step down. He was, however, convinced to stay back by the BJP and the NDA partners, and it was decided to evolve a code of conduct for NDA members to ensure that they don’t talk out of turn about the NDA functioning.

Mr Nirupam’s apology was received with caution in the BJP, which said the apology should help clear away the misunderstandings. It said the Shiv Sena was its old and tested ally and its relationship with that party would continue.

It is understood that Mr Nirupam wanted to tender his apology to the Prime Minister yesterday itself but could not do so as he was not given an appointment. The Shiv Sena member had approached the NDA convener, Mr George Fernandes in this regard.

From the Shiv Sena side, Mr Thackeray addressed a press conference in Mumbai, where he indicated that his party had made its move and it was for BJP to react now. Visibly agitated over BJP’s attack on the Sena over Mr Nirupam’s remarks, Mr Thackeray dared the BJP to break off ties if it wanted.

“They (BJP) must know their limits. I know my limits. I am an independent person who takes his own decision”, he said. “They (BJP) had come to me, I had not gone to them. If they want to break off they can do it. If they issue more threats to us, we will not keep quiet” he added.

The BJP parliamentary party spokesman, Mr V.K. Malhotra, said Mr Nirupam’s apology would be discussed in the NDA. Since it was an act of indiscipline, it would be looked into by the four-member panel formed to evolve the code of conduct for the constituent parties.

Mr Malhotra, while maintaining that the BJP never gave any threat to break the alliance and it was for the Shiv Sena to decide, added that the Prime Minister had not sought an apology from Mr Nirupam.

Party sources said the Shiv Sena supremo’s ire against the BJP stemmed from the fact that the party had not played ball with him in bringing down the NCP-Congress coalition government in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, the Congress dubbed as meaningless the apology offered by Mr Nirupam, adding that he had not withdrawn any of the charges levelled in the Rajya Sabha.

“It is a meaningless apology. The most notable aspect of the apology is that he has not withdrawn any of the substantive charges he levelled in the Rajya Sabha” party spokesman S. Jaipal Reddy said.