Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Unity among anti-BJP parties not possible: Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI March 3. ``Functional unity'' is not possible among parties opposed to the BJP because of the inherent contradictions in such a set-up, the senior Congress leader, Pranab Mukherjee, said today.

The political discourse in the country was likely to be dominated by the recent happenings in Gujarat and the conflagration in the north, but even this would not be enough to bring together the Congress, the Left parties and the pro-Dalit and pro-backward class outfits.

This was because ``more than 40 years of opposing the Congress'' could not be wished away, Mr.Mukherjee said.

Some parties based their very existence on the anti-Congressism and it could not change overnight.

Even parties like the CPI(M) were talking about `equidistance', as evidenced by ``the document circulated at the CPI(M)'s last national meeting at Kolkata,'' he said and added that the Congress alone could not be straddled with the responsibility of bringing about unity among secular forces.

But it was possible for parties to cooperate in building up public opinion on the Ram temple issue and the communal conflagration, he said.

People had to realise the danger behind a party growing from two members in the Parliament to 89 ``merely by worshiping bricks. ''

In the case of Uttar Pradesh, the question of the Congress supporting the Samajvadi Party did not arise because the numbers did not add up.

``Our manoeuvrability is extremely limited,'' he said.

Questioning the timing of the VHP's Ayodhya campaign ``so long after'' the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Mr. Mukherjee said it looked like an apparent attempt to cash in on the sentiments raging in the country after December 13.

``The world's sympathy was with us (after the Parliament attack). I do not know why they (VHP) chose this time. It is unfortunate and I do hope that good sense will prevail,'' he said.

On the Tamil Nadu politics, he said since the Congress did not have a significant presence, it did not matter whether the party opposed the AIADMK or not.

``The AIADMK does not need our support. I wish the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, all the best,'' he said, when asked whether the Congress had an action plan to regain its past glory in the State.

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