The Hindu : More allies may leave NDA: V.P. Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 05, 2002

National

National

More allies may leave NDA: V.P. Singh

LUCKNOW MAY 4. The former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, today claimed that some more allies in the NDA were toying with the idea of leaving the BJP-led alliance and that the saffron party would be isolated if there was no improvement in the Gujarat situation

The Gujarat riots had proved that the real fight in the country was between fascism and democracy and not between secularism and communalism, Mr. Singh told newsmen. He said the way the communal riots were allegedly orchestrated by the BJP and its sister organisations had proved that the ``BJP's mentality was similar to that of Mohammad Ali Jinnah''.

Mr. Singh said he would do `penance' for having been the Prime Minister with BJP's support in 1989. Stating that he ``regretted and repented'' for having had the party's support for a short period, Mr. Singh said he had not been familiar with its agenda at that time. He likened the BJP to Pakistan's ISI and said its objectives might be different but the results were the same.

Mr. Singh said that the ISI might have a ``long-term strategy'' for allegedly perpetrating the Godhra train attack.

He said waht happened in Gujarat thereafter was a ``short-term strategy of the BJP with an eye on the polls''.

He welcomed the recent judgment of the apex court on persons having criminal background contesting the elections and expressed the hope that it would help cleanse the electoral system. — PTI

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