Vajpayee denies deal with Sonia to remain in power
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today
stoutly denied that he had reached a secret understanding with
Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the survival of his government,
and asserted that he would not compromise on principles or succumb
to pressure from any quarter.
In a wide-ranging interview to Doordarshan on the eve of his
departure on a four-nation tour, Vajpayee said, ''It is not true that
there is any secret pact (with the Congress)...Whatever is there, it is
all transparent.''
He said the Congress had promised to work as a constructive
Opposition, but it was not able to fulfil its commitment firmly.
The prime minister said the Congress knew its limits and,
therefore, it was not making any attempt to form an alternative
government. ''In the first place, it is difficult to bring down this
government...But if the government goes, it is all the more
difficult to form an alternative government. Worried about these
problems, some people (in the Congress) are giving an impression that
they don't wish to topple the government.''
Vajpayee also did not agree with a suggestion that his
government was compromising with its allies like the All India Anna DMK to
ensure its longevity. He said the resolution of the Cauvery dispute
had proved beyond doubt that his government would act in national
interest and not succumb to any pressure.
On AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha's frequent demand for the
dismissal of the Karunanidhi government in Tamil Nadu, the prime
minister said, ''The issue is confined to the state...They (the AIADMK)
have their own political compulsions. But at the Centre, we have
already made it clear that we will not misuse Article 356 and we are
firmly sticking to that.''
Dismissing a suggestion that he appeared puzzled after becoming
prime minister, Vajpayee said he was worried about the state of
the nation. ''What we got in legacy from the previous regimes cannot
be described as good. There are many burning issues to resolve...The
government is tackling these and policies are being changed.''
He said he did not subscribe to the view that his government was
on its way out, and made it clear that it would continue to fulfil
its responsibilities as long as it existed.
He said his government was not affected in its day to day
functioning because of pressure from its allies. He, however,
admitted that a coalition government had to work under pulls and
pressures.
The prime minister said the pressure from allies did affect the
performance of the government. ''If we had a majority, the government
would have been acting slightly different. But despite a coalition
government, we have not had much differences on policies.''
When it was pointed out that the clouds of crisis from Tamil Nadu
continued to hover over his government, he remarked, ''Absolutely
not, I find the sky very clear.''
On Jayalalitha's frequent demands on the dismissal of the DMK
government, removal of Union ministers and the Cauvery issue,
Vajpayee said, ''These do not affect the functioning of the
government though its image is certainly affected. But in a coalition
government, such things cannot be avoided.''
Vajpayee defended his government's first Budget,
saying the Opposition had failed to find any fault with it.
On the Opposition's contention that his government would fall
under its own weight, the prime minister said, ''They (the Opposition)
are not waiting for our fall but they are unable to unite and that
is why they are in a dilemma. If we could be brought down, they will
not wait for our fall, they will push us out."
On Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and
Laloo Prasad Yadav's efforts to bring the Opposition under a common
umbrella to form an alternative government, he said, ''When we are
facing problems in running a coalition... I shudder to think what
shape their coalition will take and how it will run is anybody's
guess."
Asked whether his government's performance came up to the mark
of its election slogan 'able leader, stable government', the prime
minister said, ''We have not even completed six months...Even a
school student gets six months for the first examination but our
promises are for five years and we are trying to implement
them." He said whatever his government had done since it assumed
office had been appreciated by the people.
He declined to say anything when pointed out that even the
United States did not know that India was going to conduct nuclear
tests in May. India, he said, had faced international pressure
courageously in the aftermath of the nuclear tests and the people
at large understood it.
Vajpayee did not agree with a suggestion that India's
relations with China and Pakistan had deteriorated after the nuclear
tests. ''Whatever we did was done for our national security. We are
making efforts to improve relations with China and
Pakistan...Relations are improving.''
He said India had been a victim of foreign aggression three to
four times in the last 50 years and lost its territory. Such a
tragedy should not be repeated, he said, adding that steps were
being taken for the purpose. ''We have no aggressive designs but we
will not allow a situation where someone attacks us.''
He also dispelled the impression that the decision to conduct
the nuclear tests was taken suddenly. The process, in fact, was set
in motion by Indira Gandhi in 1974.
Vajpayee said nuclear tests had not created any
controversy or tension with China. But every country wanted to
become self-reliant. He recalled when the Cold War was at its peak
and there were threats looming large over India, New Delhi had asked
nuclear power states as to what help they could provide to this
country. Nobody responded to India's plea. ''Then we pledged to
stand on our own feet and decided to become self-reliant in security
matters''.
The prime minister did not agree with the suggestion that the
nuclear tests by India and Pakistan had deteriorated the security
environment in the region. ''We had recently met at the SAARC summit
(in Colombo). That nuclear tests had led to any tension in the
region, I do not feel''.
Pakistan now had a nuclear weapon and India too had it.
This had guaranteed that nuclear weapons would neither be used nor
should be used.
He said India and Pakistan had started the dialogue process
and it would progress.
The prime minister was confident that India and Pakistan could
resolve their disputes through bilateral talks. India, he said, was
ready to discuss all issues, including Kashmir, with Pakistan.
However, India's opposition was to Pakistan's insistence on
discussing only the Kashmir issue.
At the NAM summit, he said India would forcefully tell the
world that the nuclear issue was not confined to India and Pakistan
but concerned the world. There should be a global approach to deal
with total nuclear disarmament.
Vajpayee described as ''unfortunate'' the sanctions imposed
against India by some countries after the nuclear tests. However,
he said even those nations which had imposed sanctions were now
realising that these had not been beneficial for them. India had
boldly faced these sanctions.
He said the entire world was in the grip of an economic crisis
and this had also affected the Indian economy to some extent.
However, India had achieved success beyond expectations and this had
been indicated in the budget also. The government had increased the
allocations for various social welfare schemes.
On the unprecedented increase in the prices of potato and
onion, he said the potato crop this year was lower while the onion
crop was damaged. The situation was now improving, he claimed. The
government, he said, was taking steps to ease the problems of
housewives. It had taken firm steps against hoarders and would take
more measures, if necessary. The government was also importing the
items which were needed.
The prime minister did not subscribe to a suggestion that
the BJP was following the Congress line on various counts.
The prime minister said there was a suggestion to keep all
contentious issues in cold storage for five years, but made it clear
the proposal could not get wide support.
He refuted the suggestion that the BJP was a
pro-Hindu party therefore there was basic difference between it and
the Opposition. ''Initially, these kind of allegations were levelled
but after our six month's performance, nobody is accusing us of any
bias''.
On the rejection of the Srikrishna Commission report on the Bombay
riots by the Maharashtra government, he said the state government had
a right to take an independent decision in the matter if it thought
that the report was lopsided and its implementation could lead to
problems, the government was entitled to take its own decision,
Vajpayee added.
UNI
For Real Audio version of the prime minister's interview, please click here
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