Sectarian attacks : Govt. criticised for remaining a “mute spectator”,Indian Politics, News Analysis, India News Online

The Manmohan Singh Government came in for sharp criticism in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, on Wednesday, March 19, for what the Opposition described as remaining “a mute witness” to the attacks on Hindi-speaking people across the coun¬try.

Upset at the killing of 14 labourers in Manipur last week, members from the Hindi belt warned that growing sectarianism could jeopardise the unity and integrity of the country.

While one member demanded the resignation of Home Minister Shivraj Patil, the Congress was singled out for criticism as most of the attacks happened in the States ruled by the party.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said he would convey the sentiments of the House to the Prime Minister: “The government will not remain a mute witness to such acts.”

Raising the issue after question hour, Ramji Lal Suman (Samajwadi Party) said the Centre should intervene. “What can be more shameful than people killing one another on linguistic differences ?”

While Shahnawaz Hussain (BJP) accused the government of turning a Nelson’s eye to the attacks, Devendra Prasad Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal) said the assailants, by targeting people on the issue of language, were actually attacking the Constitu¬tion which allowed Indians to live anywhere in the country, a view echoed by Nikhil Kumar (Congress).

Referring to the fact that the issue of sectarian violence had been raised thrice in this very session - first over the attacks in Maharashtra, then in Assam and now in Manipur - Prab¬hunath Singh (Janata Dal-United) wanted to know whether any purpose was served by these discussions as the government was not taking any action despite assurances.

Such violence was a threat to national integration, Mohammad Salim (CPI-M) said, and called for action against the parallel government in Manipur.

Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) said it was not a matter concerning only the Hindi-speaking people. “If this continues, the unity of India will be in jeopardy,” he said demanding an all-party meet¬ing.

Similar criticism came from the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Biju Janata Dal.

Replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha on March 19, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said all state governments have been asked to identify areas where sectarian killings might occur and take preventive steps. He said there is an urgent need for strengthening police forces in all the states. Patil said, “it appears that there is a design to create such problems in the name of religion, language, caste and similar issues. All state governments have been asked to try to prevent such incidents by anticipating them in advance.”

Patil agreed with CPI(M) MP Brinda Karat’s observation that there seems to be a concerted attempt by militant groups in dif¬ferent parts of the country to attack workers coming from outside their areas. “Such incidents are happening in the north-east, it is happening in the south, in the west and many other places,” he said.

Advani’s political autobiography released at a “power” function

Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani’s autobiography, My Country, My Life, was released in New Delhi on March 19 night by former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, at a function with all the trappings of a power statement. Apart from top leaders of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Sangh Parivar, Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel and Indian National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala were among those present. The corporate sector was also there with Anil Ambani, Sunil Mittal and C.K. Birla leading the pack. RSS general secretary Mohan Rao Bhagwat was also present.

The only person missing from the scene was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who could not make it because of his poor health. However, he has written the foreword to the book.

While thanking Dr. Kalam for agreeing to release the book, Advani reminisced about his ties with Vajpayee. “I spoke to him this morning and he conveyed his best wishes,” the BJP leader told the audience.

The BJP’s shadow Prime Minister delivered a short speech and it was left to his party colleague Jaswant Singh to enliven the evening by throwing light on some controversial chapters in Advani’s life.

Jaswant Singh in his speech referred to the Ayodhya agita¬tion, considered the defining epoch in the BJP calender and how he differed with his senior colleague on the manner and direction in which it was steered. He then went on to add that if Advani had any regrets about it, it was that he could not control his party members on the day the Babri Masjid was demolished.

RSS general secretary Mohan Bhagwat, in his brief address, showered encomniums on the BJP leader. “He is a generation older than me, but there are many things that we can learn from his life. He taught us that one could be firm in his beliefs, and yet do a whole lot of things for society,” the RSS leader said.

The 986-page book, with foreword by Vajpayee, deals with almost all the important events that shaped Advani’s career and thinking.

In a remark that may not go down well with many second generation leaders in the BJP, Advani on Thursday, March 20, admitted that Gujarat CM Narendra Modi could be his likely suc¬cessor in the saffron party. Advani said Modi had proved his mettle much better than his peers.

“I have little doubt very few of the others have proved their ability in the matter of governance and development as Narendra Modi has already proved. So he has great potential,” he said in an interview to CNN-IBN channel on being asked if Modi would be his possible successor in the top slot of the BJP.

Observers say there is already a sense of unease in a sec¬tion of the party’s central leadership over Modi’s enhanced stature and his soaring popularity with the party cadres after the BJP’s resounding victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections under his charge.

Advani regrets lack of communication with Sonia Gandhi

In a separate interview to television channel, Times Now, Advani regretted that there was no communication between him and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He said it is unfortunate and he wishes this changes. Admitting that he did not see anyone in the party who can contribute to such a change, Advani said that his relations even with the Prime Minister become somewhat strained.

Advani said that he had sent invitations to almost all Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi to attend the function where his autobiography was released. But he got a reply only from Defence Minister A.K. Antony. Asked whether he could have invited Sonia Gandhi over phone, Advani said, “I could have, I could have, but if only I could know that there would be a re¬sponse.”

Asked when he expected the next Lok Sabha elections to take place, Advani said as things stand, the possibility is 2009.

RSS wanted Vajpayee as President of India

The RSS had suggested to former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee that he should become the President of India before A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was chosen for the office in 2002, according to BJP leader L.K. Advani.

In his memoirs “My Country My Life”, Advani narrates how the then RSS chief Rajju Bhaiyya told Vajpayee that he should become President as the duties would be “less taxing” for him in view of a knee trouble that required a complicated surgery.

The suggestion had come at a meeting at the PM’s residence at a time when the ruling NDA was trying to forge a consensus on a candidate for the nation’s top job.

Though Vajpayee “said neither yes or no”, in Rajju Bhaiyya’s words, the idea obviously did not find favour with him as nothing more was said about it and Kalam succeeded K.R. Narayanan.

What Advani does not say in his memoirs is who did the powerful RSS leadership want to replace Vajpayee with. A strong contender would have been Advani himself as he was the No 2 in the NDA government. That was also a time when his relations with the RSS top bosses had not deteriorated and he was held in greater regard by them as compared to his senior colleague.

Advani also explains that the BJP wanted the Presidential candidate to be a person from outside the party "because of our keen desire to convey a message to the nation that our party believed in inclusivity".

Initially, the NDA's choice was the then Maharashtra Governor P.C. Alexander. But as the Congress opposed him, Kalam became the unanimous choice.

“Book release turned into a Congress bashing affair”

The Congress has alleged that the function where Advani’s autobiography was launched was turned into a Congress bashing affair. Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, speaking in New Delhi on March 20, also took a dig at observations during the function that Advani’s updated memoirs later would include his “experience as Prime Minister.” He said, “Only by releasing a book you do not create a Prime Minister.”

Targeting senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh for his purported remarks during the book launch function, Singhvi said that it is wrong to say that Jinnah’s turning to the Muslim League or Partition of the country was all due to the Congress.

Questioning Jaswant Singh’s bid to “attribute Jinnah’s deeds to the Congress,” Singhvi said this reflected “the mindset of Singh, Advani and the BJP to distort history and then rewrite history.”

Describing the BJP as “Bharatiya Jinnah Party”, Singhvi said, “the reason for their sanctify Jinnah campaign stems from their deep hatred for the Congress and its great legacy and its commitment to preserve the unity and integrity of India.”

Turning to Advani, Singhvi said his claim about being hurt by demolition of the Babri Masjid was a case of shedding “croco¬dile tears and sheer hypocrisy that do not make you a national¬ist.”

Asked why no prominent Congress leader attended the book release function despite being invited, Singhvi parried the question merely adding, “If such a function is meant to target Congress, its intention gets malafide.

Rajya Sabha elections

Fifteen Congress and eight BJP candidates are among the 32 elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for biennial elections to 56 seats ended on March 19.

The DMK and BJD bagged two seats apiece while a nominee each of AIADMK, Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People’s Front, CPI(M) and TDP made it to the House of Elders. All the 32 were elected unopposed as they were the only candidates left in the fray after the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

Notable among them are Union Ministers G.K. Vasan and T. Subbirami, former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi, AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan and Moti Lal Vora (all Congress) and BJP’s Shanta Kumar and columnist Balbir Punj.

In Andhra Pradesh, one TDP and five Congress candidates were elected unopposed to the Council of States. The Congress no¬minees included Subbirami Reddy and Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasek¬har Reddy’s confidant, K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao.

The TDP candidate who got the Rajya Sabha berth is N. Harikrishna, son of former Chief Minister and party’s founder late N.T. Ramarao.

Former Union Minister and BJP leader Shanta Kumar was elect¬ed unopposed to the Council of States from Himachal Pradesh. Kumar, two time Chief Minister of Himachal, was the only can¬didate to file his nomination for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the hill state. Moti Lal Vora and former state BJP chief Pradap Singh were elected from Chhattisgarh.

Sonia comes up tops in coalition management

Observers say Sonia Gandhi’s coalition management skills were tested in the run up to the Rajya Sabha nominations when the UPA threatened to come apart in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. In West Bengal, the Congress faced a choice between the Left and Mamata Banerjee.

This would have had an impact in Delhi, especially with the Finance Bill to be passed by May and the nuclear deal still hanging fire.

Not only did the coalition stay together in the three states, the Congress appeared to be getting the Samajwadi Party on its side in Madhya Pradesh.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan was initially keen on get¬ting the Janata Dal (United)’s surplus votes for his candidate, Ranjan Prasad Yadav in Bihar. Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar, part of the rival NDA, played along because Ranjan was a red rag to Lalu Prasad Yadav. Lalu Prasad requested Sonia Gandhi to intervene. Congress sources said she asked Paswan if he could think of another candidate. When Paswan came up with Shabir Ali’s name, Lalu Prasad did not think twice before back¬ing him.

The minority factor cemented the alliance in West Bengal too. Congress sources said Sonia Gandhi’s mind was made up when Saeed Malihabadi, the editor of Urdu daily, Azad Hind, called on her.

The State Congress leaders were not “exactly enthused” about backing Malihabadi. But Sonia Gandhi decided it was “politically sagacious to keep the Left on her side at a time the Congress wanted to consolidate the “gains” of the Budget and the UPA’s social agenda before the general elections.

In Tamil Nadu, she spoke to PMK leaders who were miffed with the DMK which heads the coalition in the state for refusing the party a Rajya Sabha seat and then with the Congress for choosing Jayanti Natarajan over its state unit chief N. Krishnas¬wamy.

Krishnaswamy is the father in law of Anbumani Ramadoss, the Union Health Minister whose father S. Ramadoss heads the PMK. Sources said Sonia Gandhi spoke to father and son and emphasised that the UPA should not get weakened for “personal reasons.”

If Sonia Gandhi bailed out Lalu Prasad in Bihar, the RJD leader helped her in Madhya Pradesh. He rebuilt bridges with Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Parliament breaks for recess

Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the mid-budget session recess and will meet again on April 15. The Lok Sabha adjourned on March 19, a day earlier than schedule for the re¬cess. The advancement of the recess was in response to the wishes of a large number of members who wanted to reach home in differ¬ent states to celebrate not only Holi, but also Id, which fell on Friday, March 21.

The Rajya Sabha adjourned on March 20 after farewell trib¬utes to 50 odd members, who would be completing their six-year term in April or May.

Parliament has already passed a vote on account, a temporary measure before the passage of the Finance Bill 2008, expected before May 9.

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