Full-time Defence Minister needed: Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

MANESAR, (HARYANA), OCT. 16. Welcoming the reinduction of the Samata Party leader, Mr. George Fernandes, into the Union Cabinet, the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, today said the country needed a full-time Defence Minister at a time when the security scenario was undergoing rapid changes.

Alluding to the sharp criticism from the Opposition parties on the reinstatement of Mr. Fernandes, particularly when the Venkataswami Commission probing the Tehelka tapes issue was yet to give its final verdict, Mr. Advani asserted that the Tehelka disclosures were not against Mr. Fernandes.

On the criticism by the Congress and the Left parties, he said it did not behove them as they had been in the forefront of supporting convicted persons assuming the reins of power. The Home Minister was talking to presspersons after attending the Raising Day function of the National Security Guards (NSG) here.

``The question of national security and defence is very important. Mr. Jaswant Singh, who had been taking care of the Defence portfolio in addition to his duties as External Affairs Minister, himself felt that he had to carry the heavy load of two Ministries. The strain on his time meant that he could not do full justice to the two Ministries and it had become necessary to find a full-time Defence Minister.''Mr. Advani said Mr. Fernandes was not keen on returning to the Cabinet but there was a general feeling that the Tehelka disclosures were not against him.

``When the Prime Minister asked Mr. Jaswant Singh about it, he said that Mr. Fernandes would be the most appropriate choice as the Defence Minister. In his earlier stint also, Mr. Fernandes had endeared himself to the jawans,'' Mr. Advani said.

The Rural Development Minister, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, said the Opposition criticism was provocation enough for him to come to the BJP office in the Capital and speak up in defence of the Samata leader's reinduction.

Mr. Naidu said he was ``shocked and surprised'' at the strong words used by the Congress President, Ms. Sonia Gandhi. ``Till recently, the Left parties and the Congress were arguing that a person who stood convicted of a criminal charge can be a Chief Minister and there was nothing wrong in it. They had similar views on Bihar also.'' Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao had not quit as Prime Minister when there were direct charges against him in the Harshad Mehta case. The Congress and the Left parties were adopting double standards and they should first decide on their stand on supporting convicted persons assuming high public offices, he added.

He reiterated that Mr. Fernandes' case was different as he was neither an accused nor a chargesheeted person. There were no specific allegations against him.

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