New Delhi, August 25
The coordination committee meeting of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government on Monday is expected to discuss ways of dealing with the tehelka.com expose in a bid to rally round former Union Defence Minister George Fernandes.
Considering the unethical means adopted by the news portal in pursuing its sting operation to bring to the fore corruption in defence deals, the Samata Party and top rung BJP leaders believe it is time to go on the offensive against the Tehelka group.
In his capacity as NDA’s coordination committee convener, Mr Fernandes wants that all constituents of the Atal Behari Vajpayee government should publicly absolve him and his Samata Party colleague Jaya Jaitley of any wrong doing pertaining to defence procurements.
Pushed on the backfoot ever since the Tehelka controversy hit centre-stage necessitating the resignation of Mr Fernandes as the Union Defence Minister, BJP strategists insist that it is time for the NDA to close ranks in rejecting the allegations and insinuations against the beleaguered Samata Party leader.
Some of Mr Vajpayee’s ministerial colleagues who did not want to be identified emphasise that with the attack of the opposition parties petering out, it is time that the NDA government goes for the kill to refurbish its image and gain the confidence of the people. It is in this context that the coordination committee meeting of the NDA assumes significance.
There are two strands of opinion in the government whether it should take the lead in filing a complaint against tehelka.com or have some individuals file a first
information report (FIR) whereby the law and order machinery gets into top gear immediately.
Mr Fernandes has been bidding his time to return to Mr Vajpayee’s Cabinet which is getting complicated with murkier disclosures through fresh videotapes. To the chagrin of Mr Fernandes, the four-month extension granted to the Venkataswami Commission probing the Tehelka controversy has necessarily upset his calculations and already kept him out of the government for an extended period.
Obviously, the Prime Minister cannot rush into matters and lay himself bare to an onslaught by re-inducting Mr Fernandes in his Cabinet. He will necessarily have to await the report of the Venkataswami Commission before providing Mr Fernandes a ministerial berth again.
Sources maintain that the focus of the coordination committee meeting will be on how to counter the political fall-out from the Tehelka controversy. Then, the BJP and its allies cannot lose sight of the fast developments in Uttar Pradesh where assembly elections are round the corner. And in this scenario it is highly unlikely that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and S Ramdoss’ PMK anxious wait to return to the Union Council of Ministers will receive any prominence at least for the
moment.
