BJP under 'pressure' on Gujarat order

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 4. Under growing pressure from its allies and the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker to sort out the impasse in Parliament, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders today began talking about the ``possibility'' of the Gujarat Government withdrawing the order allowing government servants to participate in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The argument now being extended is that the RSS had become ``used to'' attacks from various quarters and it did not need the ``help'' of the Gujarat government order. It had, in fact, grown stronger despite being banned three times.

At the BJP's Ashoka Road headquarters some leaders spoke of the need to end the impasse in Parliament. There is a feeling that the Opposition parties would not give up easily and would continue to demand that the order be withdrawn and that the Centre ``persuade'' Gujarat to do so.

A BJP leader who, two days ago, said that in 1979-80 the then Jan Sangh had ``proven'' it was ready to get out of office rather than give up on the RSS, today talked about the ``possibility'' of the Gujarat government bailing out the Centre by withdrawing the order. Reports from Gandhinagar have also suggested that the Government there was waiting to see what the Centre asked it to do. There was more than a hint that if asked, the State would comply.

The BJP's allies in the National Democratic Alliance government have been openly expressing the view that the Gujarat government's order had come as a totally unnecessary provocation. However, some BJP ministers have argued that the NDA agenda for governance was the action programme of the government at the Centre and it was not right for NDA partners to suggest to the BJP what it should in a State where it was in a majority.

But the problem is that the allies have made it clear they would prefer not to vote with the BJP on the RSS issue. Simultaneously they are also building up pressure on their joint demand for a roll-back on the increase in prices of fertilizers and foodgrains distributed through the public distribution system. It is also being inferred that at a time when the BJP needs the help of its allies on the RSS issue, it will not be able to say ``no'' to them on the prices front.

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