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Gehlot surprised at Vajpayee's 'U-turn'

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR APRIL 14. The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, today expressed surprise over the drastic change in the response of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to the developments in Gujarat. "Mr. Vajpayee is seemingly giving up his pretensions of (being) a liberal politician,'' Mr. Gehlot told a group of newspersons here.

``Prior to his going abroad, the Prime Minister was talking about feeling embarrassed about the communal carnage in Gujarat. He also told the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, to uphold his `rajdharma.' Now the same Prime Minister talked in Goa as if he appreciated Mr. Modi,'' he said.

``Slowly all the so-called liberals in the Bharatiya Janata Party are showing up in their true colours... Mr. Vajpayee is one of them," he alleged. "After all, the BJP is controlled by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which is not a democratic organisation. It is time the people of the country realised the dichotomy of the situation.''

Mr. Gehlot was equally critical of the Union Home Minister, L. K. Advani, who, he said, could soon hit the roads with his ``rath yatra'' politics. Mr. Advani's interviews and reactions in the recent times had betrayed his frustration over the BJP's electoral reverses "be it in the State Assemblies or municipal bodies," Mr. Gehlot said. "The BJP has failed to understand that its communal politics has been rejected by the people.''

Mr. Gehlot said there was a need for the secular forces in the country to put their act together and guard against the forces of violence. "One is also waiting for the response from the partners of the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre. They have to act fast if they want to keep their secular credentials intact.''

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