Congress asks Kesri to choose next vice-president

The Congress steering committee has predictably authorised its president Sitaram Kesri to take a ''suitable'' decision on the party's candidate for the vice-presidency.

Kesri will decide on the name after due consultation with senior Congress leaders and Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral.

The committee also appointed Oscar Fernandes as the returning officer for the election to the Congress Working Committee. The election schedule will be decided at the committee's next meeting.

Party spokesman V N Gadgil said most of the meeting was devoted to discussing the developments in Maharashtra.

Chhagan Bhujbal and Madhukar Pichad, Congress leaders from Maharashtra, gave their version of the developments arising out of the police firing on dalits who were agitating against the desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar's statue. The duo said the police gave no warning, fired no teargas shells, before resorting to firing. One woman, they pointed out, had sustained seven bullet injuries.

The Congress has now decided to appoint a committee to deal with the problems of dalits at the national level. The party will also take up the issue in both Houses of Parliament. Kesri said his party would also raise the issue with the prime minister.

Kesri also wanted Home Minister Indrajit Gupta -- who ''relied on the assurance of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray'' -- to withdraw his observations on the situation in Bombay and express regret for the same.