The Hindu : PM's day of clarifications

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 07, 2002

National

National

PM's day of clarifications

By Harish Khare

New Delhi May 6. As is his wont these days, the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, was again in an explanatory mode. A man who is acutely conscious of the all-too-perceptible erosion in his image as a moderate and liberal, Mr. Vajpayee today used the Rajya Sabha forum to make a number of clarifications in an attempt to salvage his battered reputation.

Speaking during the debate on a motion, urging the Central Government to act under Article 355 in Gujarat, the Prime Minister clarified that he (and his government and the party) had nothing to do with a former RSS chief, Guru Golwalkar's remarks, praising Hitler's racist and Nazi programme. Mr. Vajpayee explained that the book was ``withdrawn'' years ago and that Golwalkar's racist views were never endorsed by the ``Sangh.''

Then, it was time to clarify his Goa remarks. He offered to read out the transcript of his speech and asserted that he had not criticised Islam nor had he indicted the Muslims. Saying that he was hurt by all the criticism of the speech, Mr. Vajpayee noted that he could not even think of being critical of any religion.

Additional clarification on the same point. Mr. Vajpayee pointed out that his critics had singed him for reviling ``militant Islam'' while keeping silent on the excesses of ``militant Hinduism.'' Wrong, unfair. He lamented that the media had not reported his remarks, not too long ago, at a function where he strongly disapproved of current fundamentalist interpretations of the Hindutva ideology.

Then, a bit of back-tracking. The Prime Minister would not admit the possibility of a Hindu organisation becoming ``fundamentalist'' and becoming a source of threat to the country's unity. When the Opposition protested at this wishfulness, he reluctantly added that ``law'' would come into play (should a Hindu organisation become fundamentalist).

He was not yet done with clarifications. He had still to clarify his Gwalior remarks, two days ago, when he was reported to have said that the Modi government was doing a good job and there was no need to send any kind of instructions to Gandhinagar. He again quoted from the transcript of his press conference, and took a legalistic view that since the Rajya Sabha was yet to adopt the ``Article 355'' resolution, the Centre was under no obligation to issue any instruction. And, then, he put the onus on the Opposition to suggest what concrete and effective steps the Centre could take in Gujarat.

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