The Hindu : Cong., NCP condemn 'gaurav rath yatra'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002

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National

Cong., NCP condemn 'gaurav rath yatra'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 9. A day after `Gaurav rath yatra' began in right earnest in Gujarat, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party today were one in criticising this campaign of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

For both parties, Mr. Modi's diatribe at the launching of the `yatra' confirmed their worst fears that it was aimed at dividing the people on communal lines and spreading hatred to reap political gains.

Briefing mediapersons here today, the Congress spokesman, S. Jaipal Reddy, said the `wile intentions' of Mr. Modi had been confirmed. The `yatra' was an attempt to divert the Gujarat people's attention from the BJP's `stinking mis-rule' over the past decade, he said and sought to make political point of the fact that the party had been defeated in all recent elections and by-elections in the State save the Rajkot bypoll where Mr. Modi was voted in.

Given the fact that the Congress has also been accused of playing the majority card with the recent programme of the Pradesh Congress Committee president, Shankarsinh Waghela, the party made an effort to show itself as different without referring to the programme at Bhathiji Temple in Phagwel.

``The BJP represents confrontation while the Congress represents conciliation. They represent conflict, we reflect development. They reflect hatred, we stand for goodwill and amity.''

About the ``good'' turnout at the `yatra' despite Mr. Waghela's call to the Kshatriyas of the area to boycott it, Mr. Reddy's counter was that most of those present had come from outside and there was practically no response from the locality. As for Mr. Modi's attack on the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, the Congress position was that it was yet another `diversionary tactic'.

The NCP general secretary, Tariq Anwar, in a statement called the `yatra' a `kalank yatra'. According to him, the kind of provocative mannerism, abusive language and uncultured approach Mr. Modi used in his speech was a clear indication that it was aimed at spreading hatred and not ``political education'' as was being made out by the BJP.

Though the Congress and the NCP spoke in one voice today, the former was guarded in its response to the latter's offer to jointly fight the Gujarat Assembly elections.

Responding to questions, Mr. Reddy said: ``It will be our sincere attempt to see that the anti-BJP vote is not divided. The mechanics of the process will have to be worked out by the Gujarat PCC.''

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