The Hindu : National : BJP, allies to boycott Sonia's swearing-in ceremony

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Tuesday, May 18, 2004

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National

BJP, allies to boycott Sonia's swearing-in ceremony

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, MAY 17. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have decided to boycott the Rashtrapati Bhavan ceremony where the oath of office is given in the event of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, assuming the office of Prime Minister. Except for the outgoing Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, no one else will attend the ceremony, the BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, said here today.

The decision was taken at two meetings — the first of which was held at Mr. Naidu's residence. It was attended by senior BJP leaders, including the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and the leaders of two allies, George Fernandes and P.A. Sangma. After this, some senior leaders went to see Mr. Vajpayee and discuss their decisions. Those present at this meeting were Mr. Advani, Mr. Naidu, Mr. Fernandes, Jaswant Singh and Arun Jaitley.

The leaders discussed the party strategy and concluded that an agitation on the "foreign origin" issue should be carried out both inside and outside Parliament. While the party would not boycott Parliament, it would stay away from the oath-taking ceremony, Mr. Naidu said.

Also, while the BJP had permitted the outgoing Health Minister, Sushma Swaraj, to resign from the Rajya Sabha, "there was no policy that others should also resign from Parliament."

Nationwide protests are being planned, and Mr. Naidu said that although the BJP had accepted the people's verdict with humility, it was the "misfortune of the country" that it would be ruled by the incoming coalition. "Terrible is the alternative," he said and added that the "trailer" of what may come had been shown in the form of the stock market crash. He said that it would be a "black day" in India's history for a woman of "foreign origin" to become Prime Minister. The BJP's decision was a matter of "principle" that should not be seen as a personal attack on Ms. Gandhi.

Mr. Naidu charged the Congress with trying to put together a majority government by taking in parties that were not part of its pre-poll alliance.

When it was pointed out that a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh had not prevented the BJP from forming a government there with the post-poll ally, the Bahujan Samaj Party, he said the BJP was basically not opposed to the process of government formation but to its being led by a person of "foreign origin."

To another question, he said there was neither any move by the party to take in the former general secretary, Govindacharya, nor had he made any effort to return to the BJP, which he quit about a year ago.

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