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Toppling government is top priority, says RLM

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha president Mulayam Singh Yadav today said toppling the Vajpayee government was its first priority and the formation of an alternative government was of secondary importance.

Addressing a press conference after the RLM's 100-minute meeting at its South Avenue central office, Mulayam Yadav said the RLM leaders had taken stock of the political situation and concluded that "the continuance of the Vajpayee government even for a day more would be detrimental to national interest". He said the morcha had opposed the ruling alliance at the Centre right from the time it assumed power.

Others present at the press conference included RLM member and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Rashtriya Janata Party leader Shankarsinh Vaghela.

Mulayam Singh, who is also the president of the SP, said Christians and Muslims had suffered under the Vajpayee government whose communal characteristics were intolerance. He said the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra had suppressed the Sri Krishna commission report, ensuring that the minorities could get no justice from them.

Mulayam Singh said India's image had suffered because of the central government's communal actions, that the economy was on the downswing and that the nation had been sold to foreigners. He said the ruling coalition had provided undue favour to some industrial houses and that the government, under pressure from foreign masters, had sought to push through the patents bill, though the Law commission had pointed out that its passage in its original form would adversely affect the country.

Mulayam Singh said the RLM had decided to work for the immediate ouster of the Vajpayee government in view of these facts. Later, the secular parties would hold consultations to form an alternative government, he said, adding that the BJP-led government's major aim was to divide the people on communal and religious lines.

Mulayam Singh sought to dispel doubts about the Third Front, saying secular forces had constituted it. He said the issue of an alternative government would be addressed after consultations with such forces. He said the RLM would go to the people for their mandate after the "communal government" at the Centre was toppled.

Laloo Prasad Yadav said that considering the political situation, "the iron is hot and we have arrived here with our hammers". As a ripple of laughter went around, he said the Vajpayee government couldn't be allowed to stay on and that all secular forces had decided to bring it down.

Answering a question, Laloo Yadav said the RLM was in constant touch with Harkishen Singh Surjeet of the Communist Party of India-Marxist. He also said the Congress was secular and the leading opposition party.

Pointing out that the RLM had 38 Lok Sabha MPs, Laloo Yadav said if the Congress was not willing to lead an alternative government, the RLM was. He also lashed out against the Vajpayee government for "illegally dismissing the Rabri Devi government in Bihar" and cast aspersions on the prime minister's moral character.

Shankarsinh Vaghela of the RJP said the BJP government's moral stand was a sham and that it had consistently tried to buttress its parliamentary strength to ensure its survival. He declined further comment, stating Mulayam Singh and Laloo Yadav had said everything that had to be said.

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