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CWC unwilling to act hastily

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Congress Working Committee today indicated an unwillingness to act hastily on the recent suggestion for an alternative government at the Centre, stating it was closely and constantly watching the developing situation.

Briefing reporters, senior Congress leader Arjun Singh said the CWC has taken cognisance of the suggestion for an alternative government at the Centre. However, it was closely watching the situation and was aware of the "fast deteriorating political and economic situation". He said the Congress would provide constructive opposition to the BJP-led government on matters of national interests.

According to Arjun Singh, the consolidation of all secular forces was of paramount importance to the Congress.

On the issue of Ayodhya, the CWC said it had noted the developments and the double speak employed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It said it also noted the efforts by the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to keep the issue alive in violation of the court verdict. It took exception to the fact that the Sangh Parivar had gone to the extent of saying that even the judges involved in the decision would be punished if they gave an adverse verdict.

The CWC criticised senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister L K Advani for saying that while the coalition government was bound by the national agenda, the construction of a temple remained a party commitment.

Emphasising that the Congress had never opposed a Ram temple at Ayodhya, the CWC decided it would stick to its stance that all parties should await the court verdict on the matter and abide by it. It said it would oppose any attempt to tamper with the status quo in Ayodhya.

It noted that while the recent nuclear tests at Pokhran had established India's nuclear weapon capability, the weaponisation of the country's armed forces remained incomplete. It said the BJP-led government had been vague and contradictory on conducting itself as a nuclear weapon state.

Arjun Singh said the CWC also felt the need for an action plan on the country's nuclear programme, taking all the consequences into consideration. The government's position on this, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Non-Proliferation Treaty were not clear because of the lack of concerted diplomatic initiatives.

Referring to China, the CWC said there was no place for China in Indo-Pak bilateral relations, but there was a need for better diplomacy and statesmanship. Arjun Singh said the Congress had already clarified that India's relations with its neighbours was a national issue and not a party one.

On Kashmir, the CWC noted that the government had not taken adequate action to checkmate militancy. It said Jammu and Kashmir was a national issue and not something that could be exploited by any ruling party. The party president had decided a send a high-level party delegation to the prime minister to discuss the Kashmir issue, it said.

The CWC felt sending central teams to Opposition-ruled states to assess the law and order situation amounted to misuse of constitutional provisions. The rise in the prices of essential commodities, the CWC expressed concern about the hardships caused to the majority of people.

The CWC noted that a party team -- led by senior party leader K Vijayabhaskara Reddy -- had been sent to Maharashtra to look into Congress candidate Ram Pradhan's defeat in last week's Rajya Sabha election.

Arjun Singh said that showcause notices had been served to party MP Praful Patel and MLA Satish Chaturvedi in this regard. The team, which had returned for the CWC meeting today, would return to Maharashtra later to complete the inquiry, Arjun Singh said.

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