The Hindu : Opposition drops `dharna' plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 04, 2002

National

National

Opposition drops `dharna' plan
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 3. The Opposition has shelved its plans to stage a `dharna' in Parliament tomorrow, following the tragic death of the Lok Sabha Speaker, G. M. C. Balayogi, in a helicopter crash in Andhra Pradesh today. The `dharna' was planned as part of the Opposition strategy to keep the pressure on the Government to hand over the duty of maintaining law and order to the Army in the riot-hit areas of Gujarat.

Senior Congress leaders are redrawing their strategy. The People's Front will meet tomorrow under the chairmanship of the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu. The Opposition today indicated that though the plan to stage the `dharna' had been shelved, it planned to target the BJP Government in Gujarat ``for conniving with those indulging in communal violence.''

The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was briefed about the situation in Gujarat by the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, this morning, remained noncommittal on the growing demand to ban the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, while indicating that negotiations were under way with the organisation to solve the Ayodhya imbroglio. He was responding to a demand made by the Gandhian, Nirmala Desphande, who called on him along with a delegation of prominent citizens.

The delegation asked Mr. Vajpayee to treat the Bajrang Dal and the VHP on par with SIMI and ban them with immediate effect. Comprising Valson Thampu, Sayeeda Hameed, Prakash Loius and Sonia Jabbar, the delegation presented seven recommendations to bring the situation in Gujarat under control. It urged Mr. Vajpayee to take the nation into confidence on the steps he proposed to take to stem the current wave of communal violence and back up his words with action. The team also called for an immediate and impartial inquiry into the communal carnage and the murderous attack on the Sabarmati Express at Godhra.

The Prime Minister, meanwhile, has promised all protection to the Haj pilgrims returning home. The assurance came during his interaction with a multi-religious delegation late last night. He agreed that the Rs. two-lakh compensation announced for the Godhra victims should be extended to all the victims of the communal violence.

The delegation consisted of the Jamait Ulema Hind president, Asad Madni, the former Law Minister, H.R. Bhardwaj, the All-India Christian Council vice-president, John Dayal, and Tahir Mahmood.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National