Pawar predicts early death to coalition of 'contradictions'
Sharad Pawar on Friday
challenged the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government to resolve its
inherent contradictions on major issues like corruption, Ayodhya,
secularism and swadeshi.
It should remove the apprehensions in the minds of
people before claiming the mandate
to rule, the leader of the Opposition said.
Initiating a debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion of confidence
moved by Prime Minister Vajpayee, he said the coalition allies should clarify their
position on the BJP's 'hidden agenda', in the
light of its own manifesto and Vajpayee's
national agenda.
Pawar laughed at the BJP's claim of people's mandate, stating that
it got only 37 per cent votes while all others, except the Telugu
Desam Party and National Conference, got more than 55
per cent.
Referring to Vajpayee's statement that there should be strong
states, Pawar said the Centre should also be strong to ensure
stability in the country.
Recalling Vajpayee's statement (when he was leader of the
Opposition), that outside support would create problems
in running a
stable government, Pawar pointed out that some of the ruling
party's allies were extending outside
support. And some were
extending only issue-based support.
Pawar challenged the government to claim that it
wanted to remove corruption. He said people with criminal records
were included in the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, and that Sukh
Ram, against whom the BJP had been running a battle against
corruption, was included in its government in Himachal Pradesh.
The BJP
also wanted to bring in Sukh Ram's son, Anil Sharma, who was expelled from
the Congress, to the Rajya Sabha, Pawar said.
When BJP president L K Advani and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh
were insisting that Ram temple would be constructed in Ayodhya,
could the BJP allies differ with them, Pawar asked.
Pawar thanked the Vajpayee government for reviving the Srikrishna
Commission, entrusted with the probe into the Bombay riots, and said its report
should be
made public.
He said if steps were taken to dilute secularism, the
society would not remain silent. If the Ram temple was not important
for the BJP, as it claimed now, why was the Babri Masjid demolished and
the unity of the country disturbed?
He said the swadeshi agitation was causing fears
in the minds of
people as no country could remain isolated in the present world.
The country could not afford to ignore globalisation and do away
with foreign investment in infrastructure areas.
The Congress strongman cautioned Defence Minister George
Fernandes against statements
and demonstrations which would hurt the country's cordial relations
with China.
He wanted to know from Railway Minister Nitish Kumar
whether he still maintained his views that it was difficult to keep
the country together with Hindu nationalism.
Thus, claimed Pawar, with all these contradictions,
the new government would not be successful.
UNI
Elections '98
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