Sena MPs angry, meet PM

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 24. The 15-member Shiv Sena contingent in the Lok Sabha is angry and totally dissatisfied with the Kashmir ceasefire initiative of the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee. There was even rage that Mr. Vajpayee had virtually snubbed the Sena in the Rajya Sabha yesterday - but even so the bottom line was that the Sena would not withdraw support from the Government.

Today, a five-member Sena delegation led by Mr. Manohar Joshi, Minister for Heavy Industries, met Mr. Vajpayee to lodge its strong protest even as in Mumbai the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, continued to attack the Vajpayee government for offering ceasefire to the militants instead of bullets. The delegation included Mr. S. Mohite, Mr. Mohan Rawle, Mr. Sanjay Nirupam and Mr. Adik Shirodkar, all MPs.

Apparently, apart from the Sena differences over the ceasefire initiative, the party and its chief, Mr. Bal Thackeray, were unhappy that the Prime Minister had hinted that those who oppose the peace initiative may be more dangerous than the militants. The delegation said as much to Mr. Vajpayee: ``We are angry about your statement in Parliament yesterday.'' But perhaps they were softened a bit when the Prime Minister said the media had misinterpreted what he had said. He assured them that he certainly did not mean to denigrate the Sena or its views.

The 20-minute meeting came after the party's Delhi State unit, earlier in the morning, held a noisy demonstration outside Parliament House shouting slogans against the Prime Minister and even burning his effigy. The Sena's Delhi unit chief, Mr. Jai Bhagwan Goel, had even demanded that the Sena withdraw support from the Vajpayee Government, but MPs later clarified that there was no question of this and that the party would continue to be part of the National Democratic Alliance. Mr. Mohite later said that what the Sena did not like, and would continue to oppose, was the softness of the Vajpayee government towards militants in consideration of Ramzan. ``Was a ceasefire offered when the Hindu minority in the State observed Diwali or Ganesh pooja?'' he asked adding that he had asked Mr. Vajpayee this question.

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