BJP must stick to common programme, says TDP

By R. J. Rajendra Prasad

HYDERABAD, DEC. 8. A crucial meeting of the Telugu Desam parliamentary party has been convened here tomorrow, to take stock of the situation in the wake of the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's statement on Ayodhya, and the Centre's refusal to come to the aid of the State's farmers through stepped up procurement of foodgrains. Indications are that the party will take a tough stand towards the Centre.

The Telugu Desam feels this is not the time to rake up the Ayodhya issue when farmers are in distress over the falling prices. The party wants the BJP to stick to the common minimum programme and the National Democratic Alliance manifesto, in which there is no mention of building the Ram temple at the disputed site. Any deviation from the accepted stand would tantamount to the BJP jettisoning the common programme on the basis of which the Telugu Desam was extending outside support. If there is any deviation from the accepted stand, the Telugu Desam would consider withdrawing support to the NDA Government.

The TDP is not in a mood to take the extreme step of withdrawing support at this stage but wants the Prime Minister to clarify that there would be no deviation from the common minimum programme in respect of Ayodhya. In fact, the Prime Minister gave such an assurance when the TDP parliamentary party leader, Mr. K. Yerran Naidu, and the Railway Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, called on him yesterday afternoon. But later in the evening, at an Iftaar party, he again spoke of building a temple at the disputed site, which gave rise to fears on the Prime Minister's real attitude.

This morning, the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr. M. Venkiah Naidu, spoke on the telephone with the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, to clarify the stand but the Chief Minister was not impressed with the explanation.

The Chief Minister cancelled his visit to Delhi today, and instead, inaugurated the website of the FICCI ladies wing in Delhi through video-conferencing from Hyderabad.

After the Rajya Sabha was adjourned yesterday, Telugu Desam MPs surrounded the Prime Minister who was in the House, seeking support to farmers, and the Prime Minister called the Union Minister, Mr. Shanta Kumar, and asked him to sort out the problem. The MPs were satisfied with Mr. Kumar's assurance that the FCI would accept 13 per cent admixture in rice, instead of 10 per cent till now, and that the Union Cabinet would decide about the demand for permits for rice exports.

The TDP MPs were, however, hurt when Mr. Kumar told reporters later that Andhra Pradesh was ``pressuring the Centre to take steps that will result in huge losses'' and that ``AP Government has no will to control its rice millers''.

The Food Corporation of India has so far procured 10,84,766 tonnes of rice since the beginning of October in the State, compared to the 6,44,000 tonnes procured in the same period last year. The State Government wants the FCI to procure at least 10 lakh tonnes a month and 55 lakh tonnes a year.

Some Telugu Desam MPs said the BJP's Union Ministers from the State were prejudicing the Prime Minister against the State Government and farmers problems, and it was their ``briefing'' that resulted in sarcastic comments from the Prime Minister.

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