M A I N   N E W S

Consensus is NDA mantra: PM
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 30
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said that consensus would continue to be the “mantra” of the NDA coalition.

The Prime Minister told a meeting of the NDA allies, held at his residence today, that governance continued to be a continuous process and asked all the constituents to be prepared to face new challenges. “We have to regularly do self-introspection and take all decisions through wider consultations,’’ he added.

Briefing reporters after the seven-hour meeting, BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu said the meeting was part of the consultations the NDA allies had decided to hold regularly to review various political and other developments.

The NDA allies also took note of the mounting attacks of the Congress.

The Prime Minister said the Congress was adopting double standards and did not stick to its words. It was indulging in cheap vote bank politics.

Mr Vajpayee, however, appealed to all NDA members to stand by the ruling coalition once a decision was taken and not to air their views in public. The NDA partners should not bother much about what the adversaries were saying and continue with their work.

The meeting, Mr Naidu said, expressed satisfaction over the NDA government completing five years in office successfully. “We have provided stability and a purposeful government to the country. This government has strengthened national security and the country’s democratic edifice. It has taken marathon initiatives on the economic front and enhanced India’s international stature.

The BJP chief said all constituents of the NDA felt that they should further increase their cooperation, both at the central and state levels, for the country’s progress. “It was felt that we should take the country forward, on a par with developed nations, by getting a stronger and bigger mandate in the next round of elections,’’ he said.

However, Mr Naidu came down heavily on Congress President Sonia Gandhi for her utterances against the ruling coalition, saying that the main opposition party had become “mentally bankrupt’’ and was, therefore, levelling “baseless allegations’’ against the NDA.

The BJP President said the NDA leaders had held discussions with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrabau Naidu a few days ago. The NDA would hold discussions with the leaders of the PMK, MDMK and the National Conference at the next round of meeting.

Meanwhile, the Centre today virtually disowned the affidavit it submitted in the Supreme Court, admitting that MDMK leader Vaiko’s speech at a public meeting near Madurai in June last year in support of the LTTE constituted an act of terrorism under POTA, and said it would make its stand on the issue known in the apex court tomorrow.

Mr Naidu said Law and Justice Minister Arun Jaitley told the meeting that “what has appeared in the media is not the government’s stand.’’

The Centre, Mr Naidu said, would make clear its stand on the issue in the Supreme Court tomorrow. ``We feel POTA is necessary for the country... at the same time, there has been misapplication of the act in the case of Mr Vaiko,’’ he added.

Asked if the Centre would submit a fresh affidavit in the apex court tomorrow, Mr Naidu said, ‘‘I don’t know what the Centre will do...I am only telling you what Mr Jaitely informed the meeting.’’

The MDMK was apparently unhappy with the stand taken by the Centre in the Supreme Court yesterday.

Today’s NDA meeting among others was attended by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, NDA Convenor George Fernandes, Mr Pramod Mahajan and Mr Rajnath Singh (both BJP), Mr T R Baalu (DMK), Mr Nitish Kumar (Samata party), Mr Prakash Pranjape (Shiv Sena), Mr Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Mamata Bannerjee (Trinamool Congress), Mr O P Chauthala (INLD), Mr Parkash Singh Badal (Akali Dal), Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers M M Joshi, Jaswant Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar.