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Somnath call to NDA allies

By Our Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR APRIL 28. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Somnath Chatterjee, today called upon the secular parties within the National Democratic Alliance to apply their mind during Parliament voting on the Gujarat issue on April 30.

``I appeal to the secular parties within the NDA to ponder whether secularism should be strengthened in the country or the mindless mayhem and killing of innocent people should continue in Gujarat,'' he said.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Chatterjee said if the outcome of the voting went against the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government, it would certainly add strength to the secular traditions of the country and instil confidence in the minds of those belonging to the minority communities.

Alleging that the Prime Minister was acting under pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Mr. Chatterjee said Mr. Vajpayee was earlier trying to avoid a discussion under Rule 184 because apart from the Opposition, many allies in the NDA had also demanded resignation of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

``The Prime Minister was only interested in saving his chair,'' Mr. Chatterjee said, while drawing attention to Mr. Vajpayee's remarks at Panaji and his reactions to the Opposition statements as well as the concern expressed by other countries over the situation prevailing in Gujarat. ``Mindless killing of thousands of innocent people cannot be called anyone's internal matter,'' Mr. Chatterjee observed, while demanding immediate restoration of normality in Gujarat.

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the BJP was again trying to spread communalism across the country to be in power and with the hope of winning elections in future.

In the garb of NDA agenda, the BJP was implementing its Hindutva agenda, he said.

The very fact that a Government official accepted the shila in Ayodhya had made it clear, he added. "There is nothing hidden any longer.''

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• Somnath call to NDA allies
• Riots have damaged national unity: Azad
• `Modi Govt. must be dismissed'
• Gujarat incidents shameful: Jyotiraditya

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