Rajkumar abduction crisis: Oppn. insists on alternative strategy

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, SEPT. 23. For the first time since the Kannada matinee idol, Mr. Rajkumar was abducted by the forest brigand, Veerappan, the Opposition parties in the State today insisted that the Government should look for an alternative strategy to resolve the 55-day-old hostage crisis as the present strategy has not borne fruit.

It is said that the Government has agreed in principle to consider the demand after consultation with the Centre.

The demand was made by all the Opposition parties at the all- party meeting convened by the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna, to take stock of the situation in view of the growing agitation against the delay in getting the actor released.

The BJP, which had all along supported the Government in its strategy of negotiation with the forest brigand through Mr. R.R.Gopal, today joined the Opposition in demanding an alternative strategy.

The State unit leaders of the Janata Dal(U), Janata Dal(S), BJP and the Congress(I) and their floor leaders in both Houses of State Legislatures participated in today's meeting. The lone AIADMK MLA was also present.

While the leaders of Opposition parties maintained that the present strategy had not brought the desired result, the Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. D.B. Chandre Gowda, maintained that there was no change in the strategy.

A suggestion by the Opposition that another emissary, preferably, Mr. Venugopal, advocate, who appeared on behalf of the TADA detenus in Mysore, be sent along with Mr. Gopal was turned down by the Government.

Mr. Chandre Gowda told presspersons that the affidavit filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court had supported the stand taken by the Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It had also strengthened the arguments put forth by the two Governments in support of the release of the TADA detenus.

Mr. Gowda said the stand taken by the Centre in supporting the two Governments would result in a conducive verdict in favour of their decision to release the detenues.

Mr. Gowda and Mr. Kharge appealed to the All Karnataka Dr. Rajkumar Abhimanigala Sangha to call off the Karnataka bandh scheduled for September 28.

They said the Government was in constant touch with the Centre and was posting it with all developments on the hostage crisis.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Jagdish Shettar, said that the Government should not depend too much on Mr. Gopal, and look for an alternative emissary.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Mr. K.H. Srinivasa, pointed out that TADA did not exist anymore and urged the Law Ministry to have a fresh look at it.

The JD(U) floor leader in the Assembly, Mr. P.G.R. Sindhia, said the Government should have thought of an alternative strategy long ago and should not have delayed the matter to such an extent.

The JD(S) 0State unit President, Mr. Siddaramaiah, said it was time the Government looked for an alternative as the delay in resolving the crisis had caused agony and uncertainty to the people.

Those who attended the meeting included Mr. Jagdish Shettar, the BJP State unit President, Mr. Basavaraj Patil Sedam, Mr. P.G.R. Sindhia, the JD(U) State unit president, Mr. C. Byre Gowda, Mr. K.H. Srinivasa, Mr. Siddaramaiah, the KPCC(I) President, Mr. Kaujalgi, and the Public Works Minister, Mr.Dharam Singh.

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