Cong. has ISI links, says BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MAY 7. The Bharatiya Janata Party today sought to dilute and tone down the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer of ``work permits'' for Bangladeshi ``infiltrators'' in Assam, even as it alleged that the Congress was linked to not only to the ULFA but also the ISI.

Unsure of how the BJP's predominantly Hindu voters in Assam would react to the Prime Minister's offer of ``work permits'' to Bangladeshis - which many felt would ``legitimise'' their illegal stay in India - the party spokesperson, Mr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, tried to softpedal the Prime Minister's offer by adding that the work permits would be only a temporary reprieve for them ``before their deportation.''

He explained that since they were already working here, the permit would allow them to continue working on ``humanitarian grounds'' till such time that the paper work necessary to deport them was completed.

At the same time, the BJP attacked the Congress, this time with the charge that it was thick with not only the ULFA but also the ISI and the Bangladeshi population settled in Assam.

Another twist in this charge was that the alleged ISI hand behind the conspiracy against Mr. Tarun Tejpal of tehelka.com could also have Congress backing. Senior party leaders more than hinted today that the Congress would have used any attack on Mr. Tejpal to further defame the NDA Government and bring it down.

Within the party, leaders are not able to explain clearly how the work permit system would be implemented and which constituency Mr. Vajpayee was addressing when he offered the sop.

The party is also unable to explain why the Asom Gana Parishad, which came to power on the plank of identifying the ``foreigners'' and getting them deported, was not successful, especially when the BJP which was in power at the Centre and was equally eager to help in deportation.

Privately it is admitted that deportation has been a failure. It takes years to complete the paper work, they are then bundled on to trains, but Bangladesh refuses to take them back and they return here in larger numbers.

Within the party too there are sections, especially in the larger Sangh Parivar, who are not at all pleased with the Prime Minister's remarks. The BJP and the RSS have been describing all Bangladeshi Muslims entering India as ``infiltrators and ISI agents.'' How can the party stomach the idea of giving them legitimate work permits? But officially, the party position is rather mysterious.

The party spokesperson said: ``right message has gone from the Prime Minister to the right quarters, and they understand.'' He thought there was no need to explain what the message was and to whom and how it was understood by whom.

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