All parties must back LPG price hike: BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 24. The BJP today asked its allies and Opposition parties to support the Government's decision to hike the prices of kerosene and LPG.

All parties must act in ``national interest'' rising above partisan political ends, the party's all-India general secretary, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, said.

Referring to the TDP's opposition to the price hike, he said the TDP was not part of the National Democratic Alliance. Efforts would be made to convince all parties of the need for the increase in prices. Phasing out of subsidies was essential in the present economic situation, he said.

Defends PM's Hindi

Reacting to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi's criticism of the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, for reading his speech in Hindi during the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's address to Parliament, Mr. Naidu said the Prime Minister spoke in his mother tongue. If the Prime Minister had been a Tamilian, he would no doubt have spoken in Tamil. By speaking in Hindi, and not in English, no disrespect was shown to Mr. Clinton.

As for the observations of the President, Mr. K.R. Narayanan, on Mr. Clinton's remarks about South Asia being a dangerous place, he said, he had no information about the Government being upset on this score. Mr. Narayanan was a scholar and he knew what he was speaking, he said.

The problems the NDA Government faced on internal security and the economic situation were a legacy of previous Governments, he said. He termed the fight against terrorism and insurgency ``a long-drawn affair''.

On reports of differences between the RSS and the BJP, he said they were two different organisations. The RSS would never interfere with the BJP, he added.

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