New Delhi, March 29
The war of words between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party is getting increasingly shrill. On Sunday, SP leader Amar Singh spurned the Congress invitation for a seat-sharing arrangement, making a pointed reference to senior AICC leader Arjun Singh’s statement that they would withdraw support to the
Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in Uttar Pradesh.
Today, it was Mr Arjun Singh’s turn to show down his Thakur
clansman. In a written statement, issued over two weeks after his purported remarks, the Congress leader said the “insinuation made by Mr Amar Singh was a total lie.” Coming down heavily on the SP leader, the statement further charged Mr Amar Singh of actually helping Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP-RSS combine.
The latest round of charges and counter-charges is part of the ongoing battle between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, being fought largely through the media. All this to position themselves on the right side of the secular divide before the two eventually part company.
Ever since it was rebuffed by the BSP, the Congress has been making contradictory statements with regard to the Samajwadi Party.
It first endorsed Mr Arjun Singh’s suggestion on the withdrawal of support to the UP Government, followed it up with a veiled threat that the SP prove its secular credentials, failing which it would pull the plug on its government. It has since invited the Samajwadi Party to have a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress to guard against a split in the secular vote.
This invitation was reiterated by Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma today while maintaining that their party had made repeated attempts to bring together all secular forces but “if others lack sincerity, we can’t help it.” He questioned the Samajwadi Party’s commitment to secularism, stating “it is now for the people to judge if it is really keen on taking on the BJP.”
This ongoing slanging match is basically meant to address the crucial Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh, being wooed assidously by both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
With the two parties coming under increasing pressure from Muslim organisations to have an alliance, the Congress wants to send out the signal that it should not be blamed for the
division in the secular vote or for pulling out of the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government. It has, therefore, launched a caliberated onslaught against the Samajwadi Party to discredit it among the minorities by exposing its tacit understanding with the BJP.
