Southern States - Karnataka

Gowda pooh-poohs Gujarat Govt. decision

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE APRIL 21. Reiterating the demand for a judicial inquiry into the Gujarat violence, the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, today said that there was some strong reason behind the Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee's decision not to appoint a sitting judge to probe the incidents.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Gowda said a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court Judge and a CBI probe would dispel suspicions.

He said there was also talk of a foreign hand in the post-Godhra incidents and only a detailed inquiry would reveal the facts. He ridiculed the Gujarat Government's decision to appoint a retired High Court judge to probe the incidents.

JD(U), JD(S) merger

Ruling out a role for himself in State politics, Mr. Gowda said that it was up to the leaders in the State to hasten the merger process of the Janata Dal groups. He said leaders of the Janata Dal (Secular), Janata Dal (United), and those who had remained neutral had set a deadline for the merger before Basava Jayanthi in May.

On the discontent in some sections in both the groups, he said there was a communication gap between the leaders which was the reason for it. Mr. Gowda said he would help in the merger process but had no intention of entering State politics.

The former Prime Minister said he only wanted a strong alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

Mr. Gowda refused to comment on his relationship with the Janata Dal (U) leader, Ramakrishna Hegde.

He said a common candidate from the Janata parivar would be fielded in the byelection to be Narasimharaja Assembly constituency in Mysore.

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