BJP not invited, Cong. rethink

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 11. It seems that some BJP leaders started shouting too early and too loudly that they would not attend the ``tea-party'' being hosted by the Pakistan High Commissioner, Mr. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, for till this evening none of the party leaders had been invited - although some names are supposedly on a `list'.

At the all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, on July 9, the BJP representative, Mr. V.K. Malhotra, had said that his partymen would not attend the ``tea'' to protest against the invitations sent out to some Hurriyat leaders in spite of India letting Pakistan know this was not to its liking.

But Mr. Malhotra confirmed today that so far he had not received any invitation. In fact, party president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthi, said (when asked) that ``no BJP leader had as yet received an invitation.'' Would he go to the party which was being thrown in honour of the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf? Mr. Krishnamurthi's response was that he had no invitation and if and when he got one, he would decide. But Mr. Malhotra was clear. No one from the party would go. And another party leader, national secretary, Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, also stated today that he would not go (he too has no invitation).

Leaders of other parties have confirmed that they have received invitations, and given this it seemed rather odd that the BJP leaders had been left out. It has been suggested that since they said they would not go, they were not invited.

The Congress tonight said that it would review its decision to send some of its representatives to the party. Reacting to the NDA's decision to stay away, Conress Working Committee member, Mr. Natwar Singh, said his party would take a fresh look into the matter in the wake of the development. He told The Hindu that Gen. Musharaff ``was not taking into account the sensitivity of the host nation'', by insisting on the inclusion of the Hurriyat and the exclusion of all other representatives from Jammu and Kashmir. ``This does not augur well for his visit, and the Congress party will take a decision in keeping with the national sentiments on the matter''.

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