The Hindu : Boycott Gujarat polls, Paswan tells Opposition

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 03, 2002

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National

Boycott Gujarat polls, Paswan tells Opposition

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD July 2. The Lok Janshakti president and former Union Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan, has urged the Opposition parties in Gujarat to boycott the Assembly elections if it is held earlier than as scheduled in February next year.

Mr. Paswan, who launched a day-long dharna and fast here today for ``social and communal harmony'' in the riot-torn State, told mediapersons that his party would approach the Election Commission to urge it not to agree to the ruling BJP's plea for early elections till the EC independently assess the situation.

Claiming that the situation was still not conducive for holding elections, he said the Centre should also assess the situation through any independent agency and send an all-party delegation to the State before taking a decision.

He said that if all the parties decided to boycott the elections, if they are held before schedule, it would not be possible for the EC to conduct the polls.

Mr. Paswan accused the NDA Government at the Centre of adopting ``double standards'' when it talked about imposing President's rule in Jammu and Kashmir before the Assembly elections and refusing to adopt the same stance towards Gujarat. Was it because the BJP had made Gujarat ``the laboratory to test its communal card,'' he asked.

Mr. Paswan, who was a partner in the NDA Government till recently, said that the ``BJP's wish'' prevailed at the Centre. He said that having failed to take the country on the path of progress, the BJP had resorted to playing the communal card as the ``safest bet'' to win the elections.Admitting that he had certain ``compulsions'' to stay in the NDA all these years, he said the BJP had started putting its won interests above that of the nation. He refused to accept that the BJP was separate from the Sangh Parivar and said that they were the two sides of the same coin and that the VHP could not go ahead with its programme without clearance from the ``BJP bosses''.

He condemned the RSS resolution demanding trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and said such a proposal was unacceptable.While condemning the Godhra carnage, Mr. Paswan said the violence could have been controlled by taking stringent actions against the rioters, but the BJP Government deliberately did not as it wanted to take advantage of the situation.

The Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre was a ``mere eyewash'' and would have no impact on the functioning of the administration.

The appointment of L.K. Advani as Deputy Prime Minister would only develop a parallel power centre, he said.

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