No differences with President: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 24. The Prime Minister has denied any differences with the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, over the latter's banquet speech in honour of the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, on March 21. A statement, issued by Mr. H. K. Dua, Press Adviser to Prime Minister, reads:

``The Prime Minister has seen several news reports criticising the President's speech at his banquet in honour of President Clinton.

The reports have drawn the unwarranted, indeed, tendentious conclusion that there are differences of policy between the Government and the President. While the articulation may vary, the substance of the statements made by the President and the Prime Minister is the same.''

Referring to the controversy over the invocation by the President of the theme of ``non-alignment,'' Mr. Dua's statement reads: ``So far as Non-Alignment is concerned, the Government's policy has been clearly enunciated in President's Address to the Joint Session of Parliament on February 23 last.

It read: India's foreign policy of Non-Alignment and peaceful co- existence is relevant to the multi-polar world today. This is based on the principle of protecting our vital interests and promoting our national ideals.''

In the end the statement notes that ``the Prime Minister has urged the media to desist from publicising controversies where none exist.''

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