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Pawar promises to let Vajpayee rule

Sharad Pawar, Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday said though the Congress would not destablise the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, it would prevent BJP efforts to bring about Constitutional amendments to meet political ends.

"They (the BJP and allies) have won the confidence motion in the Lower House and have got a chance to run the country for five years. From our side we can guarantee that we will not create an environment of instability," he said.

Pawar was addressing a morcha in Bombay, jointly organised by the Congress, Republican Party of India and Samajwadi Party, along with the Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh, INTUC and Lal Nishan Party, to draw the Maharashtra government's attention to various issues. He said the 18-party coalition government would fall due to its own internal contradictions.

Pawar expressed concern over the 'Mamata-Samata-Jayalalitha' combination (allies supporting the government). He said everything now depended on how Vajpayee sailed along with them.

He alleged there was a 'deal' between the BJP and Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party about the latter's drifting away from the Congress and UF. And it was because of this deal that the National Conference adopted a neutral stand on the issue of the Lok Sabha Speaker and confidence motion.

The Congress would see to it that the BJP adheres to its national agenda. It would oppose any move of the ruling alliance to bring about the Uniform Civil Code or interfere with Article 370.

Severely criticising the BJP for its double speak on corruption, he said when the party was in the Opposition it had stalled parliamentary proceedings over the Sukh Ram issue -- now the same Sukh Ram has been made the Himachal Pradesh deputy chief minister.

In a sharp attack on the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, Pawar said the government had failed to keep its promises to the people and rendered many mill workers homeless with its policy of closing down 'sick' mills.

''Not a single free house was provided to slum dwellers. Instead, bulldozers were run over existing slums. The Congress and the RPI will raise these issues in Parliament,'' he said.

Asked whether the All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam joined the government to save its leader J Jayalalitha from corruption charges, he said, ''All the partners of the ruling alliance has some or the other deals. But I do not have the details of it.''

Pawar, who arrived in Bombay on Wednesday night for the first time after becoming Opposition leader, said he was surprised on the BJP's approach towards electing the Lok Sabha Speaker.

He said many BJP leaders were ready to support Congress candidate Purno A Sangma, the 11th Lok Sabha speaker. ''However, something cooked up in Hyderabad and the BJP suddenly fielded TDP leader G M C Balyogi as their candidate," the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

When it was pointed out that by tradition the Speaker is from the ruling party, he said it was Vajpayee who proposed Sangma's name last time. The Congress was in Opposition then, and the BJP ran the government for 13 days.

Talking about Tamil Manila Congress leader G K Moopanar -- who is now showing a soft corner for the Congress -- Pawar said Moopanar is basically not an anti-Congress man.

Speaking about Congress revival in the country, Pawar said, "We have got five years in hand, and the All India Congress Committee, which is meeting on April 6, will discuss the issue."

Pawar has decided to spend 15 days outside the national capital to revive the Congress. Of this, he would spend five days in Maharashtra. In the remaining time, he would tour other parts of the country. He said he would concentrate more on those states which are to face assembly elections shortly.

Asked whether the Congress would have any truck with the Communist Party of India-Marxist for the panchayat election in West Bengal, the former defence minister replied in the negative.

UNI

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