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Gujarat riots: PM sent emissary to assuage miffed Naidu

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Vijay Goel on Monday flew down to Hyderabad to assuage Telegu Desam Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu over his 'agitation' on the failure of the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to contain violence in the state, a top TDP leader said.

The leader told rediff.com that Goel carried a specific message from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which was to 'assuage' the ruffled feelings of the TDP chief, party MPs and legislators who had expressed their 'disgust' over Modi's handling of Gujarat's law and order situation.

He said that the TDP meeting on Saturday was a 'stormy affair' with the majority of its members wanting the party to review its ties with the BJP as the Gujarat situation had a direct 'spillover' effect in Andhra Pradesh.

He said that since 'Muslims were the worst sufferers in Gujarat', their community leaders in Andhra Pradesh wanted Naidu to adopt a tough stand against the BJP central leadership.

Consequently, on Sunday, Naidu, who is also the Andhra Pradesh chief minister, had a 15-minute telephonic talk with Vajpayee during which he conveyed his party's 'extreme anguish' at Modi's inability to control the riots.

The TDP leader said that taken aback by the vehemence of the TDP chief's disenchantment with the Modi government, the prime minister instructed Goel to fly down to Hyderabad in a bid to mollify the TDP leaders.

He said that the violence in Gujarat has shaken the Muslim community in Andhra Pradesh.

As a result, Naidu in his telephonic conversation on Sunday had emphasised to prime minister that if Modi gave further proof of his 'inability' to tackle the perpetrators of violence, the TDP could not be held responsible for any 'strategy' it followed.

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