TDP warns Centre

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 9. The Telugu Desam Party today warned the BJP- led Central Government that it would take a serious view of any deviations from the common minimum agenda and sought a clarification from the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, by Monday on his controversial statements on building the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

A meeting of the TD Parliamentary Party (TDPP) convened by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and party supremo, Mr. N.Chandrababu Naidu, sent out a strong message to the NDA Government that it would brook no shift from the national agenda of governance as that was the basis for its extending outside support to the Vajpayee Government. Contentious issues such as the common civil code, Article 370 and Ram Janmabhoomi had no place in it.

Briefing presspersons, Mr. Yerran Naidu said Mr. Vajpayee's observations were ``uncalled for and unnecessary'' at a time when the nation faced pressing problems such as payment of remunerative prices to farmers and floods in West Bengal.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of Mr. Vajpayee's statement and the TDP Government's strain in relations with the Centre over paddy procurement by the Food Corporation of India.

Though the TDP Government was partly mollified on Friday by the Centre's package to help paddy farmers, Mr. Vajpayee's `clarification' that the temple could be built at the disputed site has raised the hackles of the TDP which feels that the Prime Minister should speak only about the common agenda.

However, the TDP has resolved to steer clear of the motion under Rule 184 sought to be tabled by the Congress in Parliament on the resignation of the Union Ministers charge- sheeted in the Babri Masjid demolition case. It decided to take an appropriate decision if and when a similar notice was given on the Prime Minister's statement.

TDP not to join Cabinet

The TDP today firmly scotched speculation about the possibility of its joining the NDA Government.

The conjecture was fuelled by reports in a daily that TDP MPs met in New Delhi on Friday on the eve of its Parliamentary Party meeting to discuss the pros and cons of joining the Vajpayee Ministry.

At today's meeting, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, reportedly frowned upon the MPs' conclave and wondered how they could discuss such a possibility when the TDP was fighting the Centre on several issues.

The lack of consensus on this surfaced at a press conference today when the MPs were asked to comment on the media reports that they wanted Ministry berths. Mr. A. Raj Kumar, Rajya Sabha member, said this question must be posed to Mr. Chandrababu Naidu.

Mr. Yerran Naidu said the party had decided to extend outside support to the NDA Government based on its common minimum agenda. As this stand remain unchanged, there was no need to pose this question to the Chief Minister.

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